Η ηπατική αναγέννηση στην αρχαία ιατρική: η μαρτυρία των γραμματειακών πηγών και της εικονογραφίας. Επιστημονικό Συμπόσιο ΑΝΑΣΚΑΦΗ & ΕΡΕΥΝΑ Χ: από το ερευνητικό έργο του Τομέα Αρχαιολογίας και Ιστορίας της Τέχνης, Αθήνα 2015. (original) (raw)

Abstract

Liver regeneration in ancient Greek medicine: A review of testimonies and iconography. The liver occupies a central place in vertebrate physiology, mediating functions that range from protein biosynthesis and digestive enzyme release, to food detoxification and metabolic regulation, and also acting as a first-line defense against noxious agents entering the body through the bloodstream. These key functions along with its large size, prominent position in the abdomen and extensive blood supply ascribe to the liver vital properties as a ‘source of life’ second only to the heart. It should also be noted that the liver is indispensable for life and the only feasible way of restoring its function relies exclusively on organ transplantation. The liver is among only a few organs in the adult body of mammals that have retained the capacity to regenerate in response to various insults. Its prominent regenerative response can lead to effective restoration of the mass of the remnant tissue even in cases where 70-80% of the organ has been damaged. However, liver regeneration does not reflect a true regenerative response involving differentiation and active morphogenesis, but rather a hyperplastic response that leads to organ restoration through proliferation of remaining hepatocytes. Prometheus, son of a titan or a titan himself, was condemned by Zeus to remain bound on mount Caucasus, in the distant East, while an eagle fed on his liver every night; the next morning his liver had regenerated. Liver regeneration is also implied in the myth of Tityos: being a giant himself, he was incarcerated in the Tartars while two vultures ate his liver incessantly. By means of testimonies (there are more than 4.800 references of ancient and byzantine writers to liver) and iconography, this review evaluates whether this vital feature of physiology regarding an internal (not visible to the eye) organ had been described in ancient medicine, or the mythic references to liver regeneration have a mere symbolic content –or even if both apply.

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