Comments for Hepatitis C Virus May Need Enzyme's Help To Cause Liver Disease at http://www.hepcaustralia.com.au , comment 1 to 1 out of 1 comments http://www.hepcaustralia.com.au Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:16:21 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.hepcaustralia.com.au/index.php/news/treatment-news/31-treatment-news/750-hepatitis-c-virus-may-need-enzymes-help-to-cause-liver-disease#comment-19 Why some livers with HCV get fatty: - HCV encodes for selenium, depleting glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase, two enzymes that maintain antioxidant levels in healthy cells. All antioxidants, plus selenium and zinc, are found to be depleted in populations with viral hepatitis. - Resulting oxidative stress impairs the function of methionine synthase. This enzyme is required to recycle methionine for SAMe, which is needed to synthesise (phosphatidyl-)choline and l-carnitine. - Experimental animals deprived of choline and methionine develop fatty livers. (Phosphatidyl)-choline is essential for liver cells to secrete fats in lipoprotiens, and l-carnitine is essential for the transfer of fatty acids to the mitochondria, where they are oxidised for energy. Without l-carnitine, unmetabolised fatty acyl co-A accumulates in liver cells. When methionine synthase is impaired by oxidative stress, fats accumulate in liver cells, at the same time as antioxidants dependent on methionine synthase also (co-enzyme Q10, glutathione) also decline. This sees the accumulated fats become oxidised: oxidised fats are repaired by glutathione peroxidase in a healthy cell. - the answer? Early in Hep C, supplementing selenium, NAC, milk thistle and vitamin E and C and eating a healthy diet high in antioxidants, omega 3EFAs, and vegetables and whole nuts and seeds, etc and low in sugar, saturated fats, iron, and processed food will prevent the syndrome from progressing to liver damage. - If beginning later, when symptoms are marked, it may be necessary to also supplement alpha-lipoic acid, plus taurine, glutamine, l-carnitine, choline, inositol, co-enzyme Q10, and B-complex vitamins. - if cirrhosis has developed, it is necessary to supplement SAMe, which cannot be synthesised from l-methionine by a cirrhotic liver. - George H. Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:50:18 +0100