[The bile acids as an example of patogens destructive hepatocytes in alcoholic liver injury]

Abstract

Chronic cholestasis in alcoholic liver disease contributes to the death of hepatocyte by either apoptotic or necrotic pathways. The hydrophobic acid inducing toxins in hepatocytes and cholangiocytes cause the perturbation of their mitochondrial membrane, marginal condensation of chromatin and also proteolytic digestion of the cell structure. In the activation of the apoptosis mechanism in hepatocytes the following cytokines take part: the Fas system, TNF alpha. The proteins Bcl-x(L) and Bcl-w inhibit apoptosis, while Bax and Bad protein promotes it. The Bax protein interacts with mitochondrial pores inducing cytochrome c, which contributes to the release of caspase-activated proteins and starts the apoptosis. The development of the new therapeutic strategies by protecting hepatocytes from apoptosis remains very important research for the nearest future.