Beneficial effects of histidine and carnosine on ethanol-induced chronic liver injury
Laboratory studyOther animalsWith histidine (tested in parallel arms)
This study tested carnosine together with histidine (tested in parallel arms). Its results cannot be assigned to carnosine alone. More combination studies.
- Design
- Laboratory study
- Dose used in the study
- 0.5, 1 or 2 g/L histidine or carnosine in drinking water
- Duration
- 3 weeks after chronic alcoholic liver injury was established
- What was measured
- Plasma ALT and AST; liver malondialdehyde, glutathione, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and CYP2E1 activity; liver CRP, IL-6 and TNF-alpha; mRNA for catalase, glutathione peroxidase, IL-6 and TNF-alpha.
What the authors reported
In mice with established ethanol liver injury, post-intake of histidine or carnosine lowered ALT and AST, reduced malondialdehyde, raised glutathione, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, and suppressed CYP2E1 activity, with dose-dependent effects on catalase and CYP2E1. Both agents dose-dependently reduced hepatic CRP, IL-6 and TNF-alpha and reversed the ethanol-induced changes in catalase, IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNA.
Limits of this study
Mouse study with drinking-water dosing; histidine produced similar effects, so the findings are not specific to the dipeptide. Rodents lack serum carnosinase, so oral results do not carry over to people. Abstract only.
Source
PubMed 18222027 · doi:10.1016/j.fct.2007.12.013
Entry checked against PubMed abstract (E-utilities) on 2026-10-19. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.