Prometheus and Pandora?together again

Reuben, Adrian

doi:10.1002/hep.20227

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Both Sumerian [ 174 ] and Greek [ 152 ] civilizations entertained a similar myth narration of a terrible punishment infl icted by the Gods to the victim: the latter would be tortured each day by a huge eagle or vulture eating his liver, which then grew back each night, ready to be devoured again the next day. While there can be no certainty about the actual knowledge supporting mythological imagination, two fundamental concepts were hidden and implied in this fascinating narrative.…”

Section: Oxidative Stress and Liver Regenerationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Oxidative Mechanisms in Liver Senescence and Regeneration

Marongiu

Serra

Laconi

2015

Oxidative Stress in Applied Basic Research and Clinical Practice

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Life on earth emerged in an anoxic environment. The earliest prokaryotes that inhabited our planet for hundreds of million years relied on H 2 , H 2 S, and CH 4 as potential electron donors and were perfectly adapted to live in the absence of what is today an essential element of the biosphere, i.e., O 2 . Oxygen began to accumulate in oceans and then in the atmosphere about 2.2 billion years ago, following the emergence of oxygenic photosynthetic microorganisms, which were able to split water and release molecular O 2 . This event is rightly considered a major step in the evolution of the biosphere, for a series of important reasons. (1) The introduction of O 2 in an anaerobic environment acted as a cataclysm on the preexisting biosphere, given the unprotected vulnerability of life forms to oxygen-derived reactive species. (2) The ensuing strong selection pressure precipitated the development of novel enzymes and new pathways, in order to cope with the bio-toxicity of O 2 derivatives [ 151 ]. (3) Evidence indicates that rising concentrations of O 2 also caused the reshuffl ing of integral biochemical pathways, with many enzymatic reactions that were central to anoxic metabolism being effectively replaced in aerobic organisms [ 148 ]. (4) The availability of molecular oxygen also made possible a highly exergonic respiratory chain based on O 2 as a terminal electron acceptor, an event that is considered as crucial for the evolution of eukaryotes and complex multicellular life species [ 46 , 48 ] and possibly for the colonization of terrestrial environments. Thus, both the quality and the quantity of existing biochemical networks were heavily impacted upon by the appearance of molecular oxygen [ 54 , 149 ]. Using model systems, it has been

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Section: Oxidative Stress and Liver Regenerationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Oxidative Mechanisms in Liver Senescence and Regeneration

Marongiu

Serra

Laconi

2015

Oxidative Stress in Applied Basic Research and Clinical Practice

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“…[34] As we have observed earlier, the liver was thought to be the seat of the soul, and of life and intelligence, thereby being indestructible and therefore susceptible to eternal punishment (as in the case of Prometheus). [30,31] In antiquity, the liver was also considered to be the seat of passion, desire, and pleasure-the words "hepatic," "hepatitis," "hepatology," etc. derive from the Ancient Greek word ή ̃παρ hèpar, which, according to Tiniakos et al, [32] is also spelled ή ̃δαρ hèdar, and may have its root in ήδονή hedoné, which meant "pleasure."…”

Section: (A) (B)mentioning

confidence: 99%

History of liver surgery

Banerjee,

Hariharan

2024

Clinical Liver Disease

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“…Irrespective of the mythic time-frame of liver regeneration, both legends raise the possibility that ancient Greeks may have had some knowledge not only of the organ's potential for repair but also of the quantitative and temporal aspects of liver regeneration. Nevertheless, the concept of liver regeneration was introduced in modern medicine in the early nineteenth century [17,18]. Different possible explanations exist as to how the understanding of liver regeneration may have come about more than two and a half millennia ago.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Tityus: A forgotten myth of liver regeneration

Tiniakos

Kandilis

Geller

2010

Journal of Hepatology

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The ancient Greek myth of Tityus is related to liver regeneration in the same way as the well known myth of Prometheus is. Depictions of the punishment of Prometheus are frequently used by lecturers on liver regeneration; however, Tityus remains unknown despite the fact that he received the same punishment and his myth could also be used as a paradigm for the organ's extraordinary ability to regenerate. Nevertheless, there is no convincing evidence that ancient Greeks had any specific knowledge about liver regeneration, a concept introduced in the early 19th century. We describe and analyze the myth of Tityus and compare it to the myth of Prometheus. We also explore artistic and literary links and summarize recent scientific data on the mechanisms of liver regeneration. Finally, we highlight links of the legend of Tityus with other sciences.

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Prometheus and Pandora?together again

Cited by 10 publications

References 34 publications

Oxidative Mechanisms in Liver Senescence and Regeneration

Oxidative Mechanisms in Liver Senescence and Regeneration

History of liver surgery

Tityus: A forgotten myth of liver regeneration

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