WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study by scientists at the University of California, San Diego, looked at human liver tissue and mice with alcohol-related liver disease. They found that drinking alcohol regularly reduces the production of a protein called mAChR4 in the small intestine.
This protein is important for forming special structures called goblet cell-associated antigen passages (GAPs). GAPs help train the immune system to recognize and fight harmful microbes, especially those that escape from the gut and spread to other parts of the body.
When there isn't enough mAChR4, these GAPs don't form properly. This allows gut bacteria to leak out and reach organs like the liver, worsening alcohol-related damage.
The researchers discovered that restoring mAChR4 levels can fix this problem. When they boosted the protein, GAPs formed again, the immune system worked better, and liver damage was reduced. This could be done using drugs that directly activate mAChR4 or affect related pathways with the same outcome.
While cutting back on alcohol is the best way to protect the liver, it isn't always easy. Targeting mAChR4 could be another way to reduce liver damage.
The study also suggests that mAChR4 may play a role in alcohol addiction. People with alcohol use disorder tend to have lower levels of this protein in parts of the brain that control habits and addiction.
Some drugs that increase mAChR4 levels in the brain are already being tested for schizophrenia and might one day be used to treat alcohol addiction.
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