Oral branched-chain amino acid granules improve structure and function of human serum albumin in cirrhotic patients

Abstract

Background and aimsThe aim of this study was to evaluate structural and functional alterations of human serum albumin (HSA), with a special focus on the oxidized and reduced forms, in patients with chronic liver disease. We also investigated whether oral branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation could induce structural changes and improve the functions of HSA.MethodsThe proportion of reduced and oxidized HSA was determined in 16 healthy controls and in 20 chronic hepatitis and 100 cirrhotic patients with stable conditions. To evaluate the functional properties of HSA, this study focused on the antioxidant and binding functions. The radical scavenging activity and binding ability of purified HSA were measured in 68 participants. After BCAA administration for 6 months, 29 patients were evaluated for HSA structural changes, with 19 out of the 29 patients also analyzed for HSA functional changes.ResultsThere was a significant decrease in the amounts of reduced HSA in conjunction with liver disease progression. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the levels of reduced HSA had high accuracy in determining disease progression. Functional alterations were strongly correlated to the levels of reduced HSA. BCAA supplementation led to substantial increases in the amount of reduced HSA. The altered HSA was able to scavenge significantly more radicals and restore the binding ability.ConclusionThis study describes structural alterations and functional disturbances of HSA in patients with chronic liver disease, and indicates that the levels of reduced HSA might reflect disease progression and the functional properties of HSA. Moreover, oral BCAA supplementation increases the amount of reduced HSA, thereby leading to the restoration of HSA function in cirrhotic patients.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00535-016-1281-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Modeling of the Weight Status and Risk of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Elderly Individuals: The Potential Impact of the Disulfide Bond‐Forming Oxidoreductase A‐Like Protein (DsbA‐L) Polymorphism on the Weight Status

“…Furthermore, the knockdown of DsbA‐L in Caenorhabditis elegans resulted in a significant decrease in the respiration rate and a change in the fatty acid metabolism in mitochondria . The redox state of HSA has been proposed as a plasma marker of chronic oxidative stress‐related diseases, including the progression of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis . The results of this study showed that the oxidized HSA level was increased in subjects who were overweight and/or with NAFLD ( Supplementary Figure S2 ).…”

“…The redox state of human serum albumin (HSA) was used as a systemic oxidative stress marker, as it reflects the progression of oxidative stress‐related chronic diseases . The redox state of HSA was analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography for the fasting serum samples that were collected at the end point of the observation period, as described in a previous study for assessing the level of oxidative stress .…”

Hepatocarcinogenesis Is Associated with Serum Albumin Levels after Sustained Virological Responses with Interferon-Based Therapy in Patients with Hepatitis C

“…Although several modes of actions, including reduction of angiogenesis and promotion of insulin-dependent hepatocyte proliferation, have been proposed for BCAA's beneficial effects in chronic liver diseases, one of the most important action of BCAA is the promotion of ALB synthesis by oxidative-stress-reducing and oxidized-albumin-lowering actions [30,31] . In addition, it has been recently reported that oral administration of BCAAs leads to the inhibition of hepatocarcinogenesis through the synthesis of ALB and the reduction in the oxidative stress level [32] . In this study, we identified serum ALB level <4.0 as the strongest risk factor for HCC development in patients with HCV-related liver diseases.…”

Association between redox state of human serum albumin and exercise capacity in older women: A cross‐sectional study

“…HSA is chemically classified into two main forms based on the redox state: human non‐mercaptalbumin (HNA; oxidized form) and human mercaptalbumin (HMA; reduced form; Fig. ) . Additionally, HNA is subclassified into two different states according to cysteine‐34 modification: HNA‐1, which is reversibly oxidized, and HNA‐2, which is highly oxidized .…”

“…) . Additionally, HNA is subclassified into two different states according to cysteine‐34 modification: HNA‐1, which is reversibly oxidized, and HNA‐2, which is highly oxidized . Under oxidative stress, HMA changes into HNA by buffering reactive oxidative species; therefore, the fraction of HMA in HSA (f[HMA]) has been considered a biomarker that reflects the redox state in the human body …”