Presence of benzodiazepine-like compound molecules in food and their implication in the nutrition of cirrhotic patients

Benzodiazepine (BDZ)-like compounds, present in trace amounts in normal subjects increase in the blood of liver cirrhotic patients. The origin of these compounds is still unknown but they are present in medicinal plants and foods. Herein we report the detection of BDZ-like molecules in fruits, vegetables, cereals, meat, milk and cheeses and in different cultivars of potatoes, tomatoes and carrots. The extracted food was separated by HPLC purification and the collected fractions were tested by radioreceptor binding assay in order to evaluate their ability to selectively bind the central benzodiazepine receptors. The mean value was 14.80 ng of diazepam equivalent (DE)/g in fruits, 4.34 ng DE/g in vegetables, 6.35 in cereals and 4.09 in meat. BDZ-like compounds are poorly present in cheeses and completely absent in olive and seeds oil. From these findings it is possible to select food with low amount of BDZ-like molecules useful for cirrhotic diet in order to prevent hepatic encephalopathy

Decrease of brain zinc in experimental hepatic encephalography

Since zinc is an important factor in membrane stability, we assayed the levels of zinc in several brain areas during the development of hepatic encephalopathy due to D-galactosamine-HCl in rat. We now report that zinc is significantly reduced in all tested brain areas. This finding seems to indicate an involvement of zinc in the changes of membrane properties that lead to alteration of GABA receptors in hepatic encephalopathy

Benzodiazepine endogene

La reale importanz di questi studi è rappresentata dal fatto che tali sostanze presenti nella dieta sono sorgenti di benzodiazepine per l'organismo umano. il riconoscimento che gli alimenti sono una sorgente di benzodiazepine, suggerisce la possibilità di selezionare diete a basso od alto contenuto di benzodiazepine in base alla patologia presente

The pathophysiology of hepatic encephalopathy.

Despite several clinical and expeimental studies, the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is still under debate. This is certainly due to the complexity of the issue but, at least in part, the lack of clarity resides on the method of approach utilised in the discussion of this theme. In order to reach a clear cut understanding of the cause-effect ratio the primary peripheral factors accumulating in the blood must be distinghuished from the neurochemical events. Moreover, since there are nowe clinical adn experimental data which demostrate that the patogenesis of HE is multifactorial, each toxin "per se" may not correlate with HE and may not fully explainal the aspects of the syndrome

Endogenous benzodiazepines

The presence of specific receptors for benzodiazepines (BDZ) suggested that these recognition sites could subserve a physiological role in the regulation of anxiety and sleep only if stimulated by endoigenous ligands. A polypeptide nmed DBI could be one putative endogenous ligands with diazepma binding inhibitory properties and with anxiogenic activity. Clinical experiments were designed in order to study the levels of the endogenous BDZs and in particular the relationship between BDZs and DBI in control

GLOBUS-PALLIDUS ALTERATIONS AND BRAIN ATROPHY IN LIVER-CIRRHOSIS PATIENTS WITH ENCEPHALOPATHY - AN MR IMAGING STUDY

Brain magnetic resonance (MR) was performed in 29 liver cirrhosis patients without (N = 10) and with hepatic encephalopathy (HE) of chronic recurrent (N = 10) and of chronic persistent (N = 9) type. Sixty percent of the patients with chronic recurrent HE and 100% of the patients with chronic persistent HE showed a bilateral and symmetrical hyperintensity of the globus pallidus in the T1-weighted images while the T2-weighted images were normal, suggesting the possibility of the accumulation of a paramagnetic compound in this brain area during HE. Other findings of the study were evidence of brain atrophy of mild or moderate degree in 70% of patients with chronic recurrent HE and in 77% with chronic persistent HE and patients with liver cirrhosis without HE appeared normal on MR examination

Endogenous benzodiazepines: from physiology to patology

Endogenous benzodiazepines were measured by the radioligand binding technique after high performance liquidchromatography (HPLC) purification. The presence of diazepam andN-desmethyldiazepam was assayed by HPLC-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Diazepam binding inhibitor was studied in serum by radioimmunoassay. Results\u2014Endogenous benzodiazepineswere below the limit of detection in 7% of patients with encephalopathy. When detectable, their levels were at least comparable with those of benzodiazepine consumers and correlated with the liver dysfunction but not the stage of encephalopathy.Serum levels of diazepam binding inhibitor tended to decrease when endogenous benzodiazepines levels increased. Conclusions\u2014Endogenous benzodiazepines may accumulate in patients withliver cirrhosis during the course of the disease, and the phenomenon appears to be independent of the presence or absenceof encephalopathy