Bilirubin has several physiological functions, both beneficial and harmful. In addition to reactive oxygen species-scavenging activities, bilirubin has potent immunosuppressive effects associated with long-term pathophysiological sequelae. It has been recently recognized as a hormone with endocrine actions and interconnected effects on various cellular signaling pathways. Current studies show that bilirubin also decreases adiposity and prevents metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. All in all, the physiological importance of bilirubin is only now coming to light, and strategies for increasing plasma bilirubin levels to combat chronic diseases are starting to be considered. This review discusses the beneficial effects of increasing plasma bilirubin, incorporates emerging areas of bilirubin biology, and provides key concepts to advance the field.

4th Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University and General University Hospital Prague 120 00 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center Markey Cancer Center University of Kentucky Lexington KY 40508 USA

Department of Physiology and Biophysics Cardiorenal and Metabolic Diseases Research Center University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson MS 39216 USA

Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS Trieste Italy

Zobrazit více v PubMed

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A Platform for the Synthesis of Oxidation Products of Bilirubin

Role of Natural Compounds Modulating Heme Catabolic Pathway in Gut, Liver, Cardiovascular, and Brain Diseases

Association of Low Serum Bilirubin Concentrations and Promoter Variations in the UGT1A1 and HMOX1 Genes with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Czech Population