Revista de Hígado: enfermedades y trasplantes

Unpredictable Effects of Chemical Mixtures on Liver in Health and Disease

Pinar Erkekoglu and Belma Kocer Giray

Unpredictable Effects of Chemical Mixtures on Liver in Health and Disease

Liver is the primary organ for the detoxification, as well as being the target of many of environmental chemicals. Today, we are all exposed to mixtures of different chemicals at a time because of industrialization and fast life style. Other than environmental chemicals, many people are subject to a mixture of drugs. For example, patients of complex diseases receive an average of six drugs at time when hospitalized. Home influenza treatment consists of analgesics, antihistaminics, and cough syrups. Yet, exposure to an antioxidant and chemical/drug together might be hepatotoxic, if the antioxidant is not applied at a proper dosage or if they affect the same enzymes, receptors, or pathways. Even drinking water may contain residues of pesticides, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) along with heavy metals, which all possess hepatic toxicity potential. Exposure to different xenobiotics or administration of several drugs at a time may change the effect of each single component or may affect course of a disease.