The human body operates like a symphony, with different organs and systems interacting to maintain balance.
Sometimes, though, this symphony hits a sour note, leading to disease.
Interestingly, researchers have discovered that some diseases, instead of exacerbating each other, can have alleviating effects.
A recent study, conducted by researchers from the University Hospital RWTH Aachen and the Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors in Dortmund, revealed that an inflamed intestine could surprisingly help in mitigating certain types of liver disease.
The study was published in Nature Communications.
Intestinal Inflammation & Liver Disease
The study focused on a condition called cholestatic liver disease, where the liver produces bile that can’t be secreted into the intestine.
This leads to bile backlog, which can damage liver tissue. Specifically, the research looked at primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a cholestatic liver disease characterized by chronic inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts.
Up to 80% of PSC patients also suffer from chronic inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis.
The conventional view suggested that such intestinal diseases could promote the progression of PSC.
But the recent findings have revealed an unexpected twist: ulcerative colitis might actually alleviate cholestatic liver disease by suppressing bile acid synthesis.
The Underlying Mechanism
The researchers found that inflammation in the intestine, triggered by the molecule dextran sulfate (DSS), induces significant changes in the liver’s signaling pathways.
Specifically, it promotes inflammatory pathways while suppressing bile acid synthesis and transport.
This discovery shows a molecular regulatory circuit where intestinal inflammation reduces bile production, which could in turn suppress the progression of cholestatic liver disease.
This newfound mechanism could be used in the future to slow down bile acid production when liver cells are already overloaded, providing a potential therapeutic approach for PSC.
Interconnectedness of Body Systems
The study further underscores how interconnected our body systems are, with diseases in one organ potentially affecting others.
The liver, the largest organ in the human body, has more than 500 specific functions, including the detoxification of toxic substances.
Diseases of the liver can negatively impact other cells and organs, particularly the brain, kidneys, and immune functions.
This study provides valuable insights into how the liver interacts with the intestines, and it paves the way for potentially groundbreaking therapies for liver disease.
With further research, scientists could exploit these interorgan communications to develop new treatment options.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about a diet that can treat fatty liver disease and obesity, and coffee drinkers may halve their risk of liver cancer.
For more information about liver health, please see recent studies that anti-inflammatory diet could help prevent fatty liver disease, and results showing vitamin D could help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The study was published in Nature Communications. Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
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