Possible Association Between DHEA and PKCε in Hepatic Encephalopathy Amelioration: A Pilot Study.

ABSTRACT: Objective: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neuropsychiatric syndrome caused by liver failure and by an impaired neurotransmission and neurological function caused by hyperammonemia (HA). HE, in turn, decreases the phosphorylation of protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε), contributing to the impairment of neuronal functions. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) exerts a neuroprotective effect by increasing the GABAergic tone through GABA_A receptor stimulation. Therefore, we investigated the protective effect of DHEA in an animal model of HE, and the possible modulation of PKCε expression in different brain area. Methods: Fulminant hepatic failure was induced in 18 male, Sprague-Dawley rats by i.p. administration of 3 g/kg D-galactosamine, and after 30 min, a group of animals re

SUBMITTER: Di Cerbo A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8505975 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature