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Updated: Jul 31, 2025
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Generation of a Rat Model of Acute Liver Failure by Combining 70% Partial Hepatectomy and Acetaminophen
Published on: November 27, 2019
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Growth Hormone Accelerates Recovery From Acetaminophen-Induced Murine Liver Injury
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|May 3, 2023
Summary
Acetaminophen overdose causes liver failure, but N-acetyl cysteine is ineffective after ten hours. Growth hormone (GH) treatment accelerates liver recovery and improves survival in males, offering a novel therapeutic alternative.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Endocrinology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is a primary cause of acute liver failure.
- N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is the sole treatment, but its efficacy wanes approximately ten hours post-overdose.
- This study investigates sexual dimorphism in APAP-induced liver injury to identify novel therapeutic strategies.
Approach:
- Examined sex-dependent differences in APAP toxicity and liver repair mechanisms.
- Utilized single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze GH receptor expression and pathway activation in hepatocytes.
- Investigated the therapeutic potential of growth hormone (GH) delivered as recombinant protein or mRNA-LNP.
Key Points:
- Females exhibit reduced APAP-induced liver cell death and accelerated recovery compared to males.
- Female hepatocytes show heightened GH receptor expression and GH pathway activation.
- GH treatment, via protein or mRNA-LNP, enhances liver recovery and survival in males post-APAP exposure, outperforming NAC.
Conclusions:
- Female mice possess a sexually dimorphic advantage in liver repair following APAP overdose.
- Growth hormone (GH) emerges as a promising alternative therapeutic agent for APAP hepatotoxicity.
- GH delivery via recombinant protein or mRNA-LNP holds potential for preventing liver failure and reducing liver transplant needs in APAP-overdosed patients.
