Osteopontin binding to lipopolysaccharide lowers tumor necrosis factor‐α and prevents early alcohol‐induced liver injury in mice
Xiaodong Ge, Tung‐Ming Leung, Elena Arriazu, Yongke Lu, Raquel Urtasun, Brian Christensen, Maria Isabel Fiel, Satoshi Mochida, Esben S. Sørensen, Natalia Nieto – 9 November 2013 – Although osteopontin (OPN) is induced in alcoholic patients, its role in the pathophysiology of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) remains unclear. Increased translocation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the gut is key for the onset of ALD because it promotes macrophage infiltration and activation, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNFα) production, and liver injury.