Research Report
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World J Gastroenterol. Aug 28, 2014; 20(32): 11305-11312
Published online Aug 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i32.11305
Role of the 13C-methacetin breath test in the assessment of acute liver injury in a rat model
Dong Zhu, Hui Zhang, Jing-Yi Mao, Hong-Yan Wang, Xin Li, You-Qing Xu
Dong Zhu, Hui Zhang, Hong-Yan Wang, Xin Li, You-Qing Xu, Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
Jing-Yi Mao, Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital, Beijing 100022, China
Author contributions: Xu YQ proposed the study; Zhu D, Mao JY, Zhang H and Wang HY conducted the experiments; Zhang H, Mao JY and Li X collected and analyzed the data; Zhu D and Zhang H wrote the manuscript; Xu YQ revised the manuscript; All authors read and approved the final manuscript; Zhang H and Zhu D contributed equally to this work.
Supported by Beijing Health System Advanced Health Technology Talent Cultivation Plan, No. 2011-2-08
Correspondence to: You-Qing Xu, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 6 Tiantan Xili, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100050, China. youqingxuttyy@163.com
Telephone: +86-10-67096644 Fax: +86-10-67096644
Received: June 8, 2014
Revised: July 18, 2014
Accepted: July 29, 2014
Published online: August 28, 2014
Processing time: 82 Days and 1.3 Hours
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the role of the 13C-methacetin breath test (13C-MBT) in the assessment of acute liver injury in a rat model.

METHODS: Acute liver injury in rats was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine (D-GalN). Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 8) and five model groups (each n = 8), and acute liver injury was assessed at different time points (6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h) after D-GalN injection. The 13C-MBT, biochemical tests, 15-min retention rate of indocyanine green (ICGR15), and liver biopsy were performed and compared between the control and model groups. Correlations between parameters of the 13C-MBT (Tmax, MVmax, CUM120 and DOBmax), biochemical tests, ICGR15 and liver necrosis score were also analyzed using Spearman’s correlation analysis.

RESULTS: Tmax, MVmax, CUM120 and DOBmax, as well as most of the traditional methods, correlated with the liver necrosis score (r = 0.493, P < 0.05; r = -0.731, P < 0.01; r = -0.618, P < 0.01; r = -0.592, P < 0.01, respectively). MVmax, CUM120 and DOBmax rapidly decreased and were lower than those in the controls as early as 6 h after D-GalN injection (3.84 ± 0.84 vs 5.06 ± 0.78, P < 0.01; 3.35 ± 0.72 vs 4.21 ± 1.44, P < 0.05; 52.3 ± 20.58 vs 75.1 ± 9.57, P < 0.05, respectively) and reached the lowest point 24 h after D-GalN injection. MVmax, CUM120 and DOBmax returned to normal levels 72 h after D-GalN injection and preceded most of the traditional methods, including liver biopsy.

CONCLUSION: The 13C-MBT is a sensitive tool for the timely detection of acute liver injury and early prediction of recovery in a rat model. Further clinical studies are warranted to validate its role in patients with acute liver injury.

Keywords: 13C-methacetin breath test; Acute liver injury; Liver function; Animal model

Core tip: The 13C-methacetin breath test (13C-MBT) is a promising tool for the assessment of metabolic liver function. Previous studies have mainly been conducted in the setting of chronic liver disease; however, evidence on acute liver injury is scanty. The present study evaluated the role of 13C-MBT in the assessment of acute liver injury in an animal model and showed that 13C-MBT was sensitive for the timely detection of acute liver injury and for early prediction of liver function recovery.