Expressions of protein oxidation markers, dityrosine and advanced oxidation protein products in acetaminophen-induced liver injury in rats

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether dityrosine and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) were useful as biomarkers for monitoring the development of acetaminophen-induced liver injury. Dityrosine immunoexpression in the liver along with plasma AOPP concentration was examined up to 24 hr post-acetaminophen injection in rats. The histopathological changes in the liver appeared 3 hr after acetaminophen injection and became exacerbated with time. The immunohistological expression of dityrosine was also first detected in the damaged hepatocytes 3 hr after the injection and became more accentuated at 6, 12 and 24 hr in accompanying with the elevation of plasma AOPP concentration. These results suggested that dityrosine and AOPP expressions might be useful biomarkers for monitoring the development of acetaminophen-induced liver injury.