New Study Links Alcohol Consumption to Liver Damage Cycle

We all know that drinking too much alcohol harms the liver, but a recent study has uncovered a worrying cycle that could worsen that damage. It turns out, chronic alcohol use may allow bacteria from the gut to leak into the liver, causing even more harm.

Researchers from the University of California San Diego looked into human liver biopsies alongside mouse models of alcohol-related liver disease. They discovered that habitual drinking undermines the production of a signaling protein called mAChR4 in the small intestine.

This reduction in mAChR4 interferes with the development of goblet cell-associated antigen passages (GAPs), which are essential for training the immune system. These structures help the body respond to microbes, especially those that shouldn’t be escaping the gut and moving elsewhere.

Without this protective barrier, gut bacteria can invade organs like the liver, which may intensify the liver damage associated with alcohol consumption.

Fortunately, this is not a one-way street. The researchers found that if they could restore mAChR4’s function, GAPs would regenerate, effectively improving the immune system’s ability to deal with stray gut bacteria and thereby reducing liver damage.

This restoration could be achieved through medications that activate mAChR4 directly, or by targeting related pathways that produce a similar outcome.

While cutting back on alcohol would be the most straightforward way to improve health, that’s not always easy for everyone. The researchers believe that focusing on mAChR4 could help limit liver damage in various situations.

This protein might have broader implications for alcohol-related disorders too. Although mainly involved in areas of the brain connected to habits and addiction, lower levels of mAChR4 have also been noted in the brains of individuals with alcohol use disorder.

Medications that aim to increase mAChR4 levels in the brain are currently in clinical trials for schizophrenia, and there’s potential for such treatments to be considered for alcohol-related issues in the future.

The findings of this research were published in the journal Nature.