Conditions for accurate measurement of catalytic activity of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in human serum have been reinvestigated. The basic variables (kind of buffer, buffer concentration, pH, ion effects, and the influence of pyridoxal-5-phosphate) can now be considered optimized. On this basis, the kinetic parameters of both aminotransferases were determined, i.e.,...

OBJECTIVE The present pilot trial was carried out to evaluate the effects of an acute treatment with a mixture containing 500 million of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus per day in patients with non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). RESEARCH METHODS A sample of 30 patients with NAFLD (diagnosed by liver biopsy) was enrolled and 28 patients were analyzed in a double...

Kynurenic acid is an endogenous neuroactive compound whose unbalancing is involved in the pathogenesis and progression of several neurological diseases. Kynurenic acid synthesis in the human brain is sustained by the catalytic activity of two kynurenine aminotransferases, hKAT I and hKAT II. A wealth of pharmacological data highlight hKAT II as a sensible target for the treatment of neuropathol...

Specific amino acids are now known to acutely and chronically regulate insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells in vivo and in vitro. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which amino acids regulate insulin secretion may identify novel targets for future diabetes therapies. Mitochondrial metabolism is crucial for the coupling of amino acid and glucose recognition to the exocytosis of the i...

The pathogenesis of post-cardiac injury syndrome was studied prospectively in 62 patients who underwent coronary bypass grafting. Preoperative and serial postoperative titres of actin and myosin antibodies were measured by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Perioperative cumulative release of serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferases, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase was calcul...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the pharmacological effects of calcium alginate on carbon tetrachloride (CCL4)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The study included two experiments. In the first experiment the animals were given daily CCL4 through gavage for 7 days and then 10, 50, or 250 mg/kg b.w. of calcium alginate for 21 days. The increased bilirubin level, enhanced alanine and a...

We studied the association between hepatitis B virus (HBV) replicative markers and aminotransferases values during a 18 months interval after late initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in a sample of 126 teenagers with more than ten years old HBV/HIV co-infection. Our objective was to differentiate between drug induced and disease induced alterations of liver laboratory tes...

background alanine aminotransferase (alt) level is the most common diagnostic test used for detection of liver damage; however in the past few years some studies have questioned the normal aminotransferase range in adults and have suggested its revision. objectives in this study, we assessed the upper limit of alt and aspartate transaminase (ast) in a healthy population of iranian children. pat...

Heavy metals are becoming ubiquitous in our environment due to its natural abundance and anthropogenic uses. Arsenic an example of heavy metal, can cause deleterious effects numerous organs biochemical pathways. Use noninvasive testing procedures had been used diagnosis, monitoring pathological events during treatment. In order investigate the sodium selenite on biomarkers organ injury arsenic-...