| Theme | Oxidative Stress and the Liver | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Role of Mitochondrion in Production of Oxidative Stress | |
| Publish Date | 2005/04 | |
| Author | Kazuhiko Koike | Department of Infectious Diseases, Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo |
| Author | Hideyuki Miyoshi | Department of Infectious Diseases, Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo |
| [ Summary ] | Oxidative stress is considered to be a major cause of liver injury and hepatocellular carcinoma. As an origin of the production of oxidative stress, the mitochondrion plays a pivotal role : disturbance of it's electron transfer system results in the generation of massive reactive oxygen species, which are associated with hepatocarcinogenesis in hepatitis C virus infection or liver injury in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, the mitochondrion is not the only place for oxidative stress production, and other organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum are also locations where it may occur. Elucidation of the mechanism of generation of oxidative stress would lead to understanding of the pathogenesis of liver diseases such as hepatitis C or NASH. | |