Liver and Drugs

Abstract

Liver affect drugs through playing a very important role in e their metabolism. Drugs can also affect the liver by producing diseases which resembles every naturally occurring liver diseases in man. Drugs can also affect the liver by producing diseases which resembles every natura11y occurring liver diseases in man . Acute hepatitis is by far the most common Drug-Induced Liver Disease (DILD). Cytochrome P-450 and immune system play an important role in production of drug induced hepatitis. The cytochrome P-450 helps the liver converts lipid soluble drugs to water soluble compounds to be excreted through urine or bile. The reaction between cytochrome P-450 and drugs results in formation of stable metabolites in many conditions and unstable metabolites in many other conditions. These unstable metabolites can cause Iiver damage. The liver have many protective mechanisms to decrease or prevent these damage. e.g 1- The reactive metabolites can destroy the citochrome P-450. thus preventing formation of more reactive metabolites. 2- Glutathion: The reactive metabolites react with the SH group of glutahion leading to their inactivation.