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Quantitative studies of liver atrophy after portacaval shunt in the rat

Zaitoun, AA ; Apelqvist, G ; Al-Mardini, H ; Gray, T ; Bengtsson, Finn LU and Record, CO (2006) In Journal of Surgical Research 131(2). p.225-232
Abstract
Background. It is well known that portacaval shunting ultimately leads to a decrease in liver volume and hepatic function, but the mechanism is uncertain. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of portacaval shunting (PCS) upon the morphological changes that occur in the liver in rats after port caval. anastomosis. Materials and methods. Sixty-six male rats underwent either PCS (n = 35) or sham operations (n = 31). Hormone levels were determined in blood samples taken just before removal and weighing of the livers. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were used for quantitative morphometric analysis. Apoptosis, mitosis, and cellular organelles also were assessed quantitatively. Results. There was a significant reduction... (More)
Background. It is well known that portacaval shunting ultimately leads to a decrease in liver volume and hepatic function, but the mechanism is uncertain. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of portacaval shunting (PCS) upon the morphological changes that occur in the liver in rats after port caval. anastomosis. Materials and methods. Sixty-six male rats underwent either PCS (n = 35) or sham operations (n = 31). Hormone levels were determined in blood samples taken just before removal and weighing of the livers. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were used for quantitative morphometric analysis. Apoptosis, mitosis, and cellular organelles also were assessed quantitatively. Results. There was a significant reduction in the liver mass together with testosterone levels in PCS rats in comparison with sham rats. The distance between presinusoidal and postsinusoidal vessels was reduced from 500 mu m in the sham rats to 299 mu m in the PCS rats (P = 0.000001). Within the same group, there was a significant reduction in the area of hepatocyte nuclei in zone 3 in comparison with zone 1. Electron microscopy revealed a highly significant (P = 0.0007) reduction in the membrane-bound cytoplasmic organelles of zone 3 hepatocytes in PCS rats in comparison with the sham rats. Apoptosis was increased in zone 3 in PCS rats (P = 0.00001), whereas in zone 1 of the same group, there was an associated increased in mitosis (P = 0.000001). Overall, the degree of apoptosis was in excess of mitosis, resulting in a general loss of liver mass. Conclusion. Morphometric analysis at cellular and subcellular levels confirms the morphological findings of liver atrophy in PCS rats. The mechanism of atrophy is a complex one. Portacaval shunting leads to hepatic atrophy that, in turn, results in microcirculatory and hormonal changes that further contribute to liver cell loss in this animal model. (C) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
portacaval shunt rat, morphometry, apoptosis, liver atrophy, ultra-structure
in
Journal of Surgical Research
volume
131
issue
2
pages
225 - 232
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:16427088
  • wos:000236257200010
  • scopus:33644897838
ISSN
1095-8673
DOI
10.1016/j.jss.2005.11.587
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fe4cbf11-3355-414d-a111-11670fce9ab7 (old id 415120)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:00:13
date last changed
2022-01-28 23:39:23
@article{fe4cbf11-3355-414d-a111-11670fce9ab7,
  abstract     = {{Background. It is well known that portacaval shunting ultimately leads to a decrease in liver volume and hepatic function, but the mechanism is uncertain. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of portacaval shunting (PCS) upon the morphological changes that occur in the liver in rats after port caval. anastomosis. Materials and methods. Sixty-six male rats underwent either PCS (n = 35) or sham operations (n = 31). Hormone levels were determined in blood samples taken just before removal and weighing of the livers. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were used for quantitative morphometric analysis. Apoptosis, mitosis, and cellular organelles also were assessed quantitatively. Results. There was a significant reduction in the liver mass together with testosterone levels in PCS rats in comparison with sham rats. The distance between presinusoidal and postsinusoidal vessels was reduced from 500 mu m in the sham rats to 299 mu m in the PCS rats (P = 0.000001). Within the same group, there was a significant reduction in the area of hepatocyte nuclei in zone 3 in comparison with zone 1. Electron microscopy revealed a highly significant (P = 0.0007) reduction in the membrane-bound cytoplasmic organelles of zone 3 hepatocytes in PCS rats in comparison with the sham rats. Apoptosis was increased in zone 3 in PCS rats (P = 0.00001), whereas in zone 1 of the same group, there was an associated increased in mitosis (P = 0.000001). Overall, the degree of apoptosis was in excess of mitosis, resulting in a general loss of liver mass. Conclusion. Morphometric analysis at cellular and subcellular levels confirms the morphological findings of liver atrophy in PCS rats. The mechanism of atrophy is a complex one. Portacaval shunting leads to hepatic atrophy that, in turn, results in microcirculatory and hormonal changes that further contribute to liver cell loss in this animal model. (C) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Zaitoun, AA and Apelqvist, G and Al-Mardini, H and Gray, T and Bengtsson, Finn and Record, CO}},
  issn         = {{1095-8673}},
  keywords     = {{portacaval shunt rat; morphometry; apoptosis; liver atrophy; ultra-structure}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{225--232}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Surgical Research}},
  title        = {{Quantitative studies of liver atrophy after portacaval shunt in the rat}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2005.11.587}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jss.2005.11.587}},
  volume       = {{131}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}