Research on the oxidized dextran effect on fibrosis in the liver of rats with toxic hepatosis and liver cirrhosis

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the anti-fibrotic efficacy of oxidized dextran (OD) in post-toxic acute, chronic hepatosis and liver cirrhosis. Material and methods. 150 male Wistar rats weighing 280–320 g were injected intraperitoneally with 50 % CCl4 oil solution (1 ml/kg b.w.) and per os with 6.5 % aqueous solution of ethyl alcohol (40 ml per rat per day), as well as intraperitoneally – 2 ml of 5 % aqueous solution of oxidized dextran (OD) with a molecular weight of 40 kDa to the animal. The CCl4 solution has been injected once daily, the ethyl alcohol aqueous 6.5 % solution for 3 days. One group of rats has been injected with OD solution for 60 days till the first day after toxicants introduction. Another group has been administered with OD from the 30th days after the toxicants introduction to the 90th day. Toxicants were canceled on the 60th day. The third group of rats has been injected with toxicants for 60 days, and after toxicant cancel only OD has been injected for 30 days until the 90th day. The control group has been injected only with toxicants for 60 days, and there was still an “intact” control. Results and discussion. In animals that were injected with toxicants, and received OD from the 60th day, hepatocytes in a state of vacuolar degeneration and necrosis, microfibrosis were observed. But there was much more collagen in the periportal and interlobular zones. In addition, the so-called, false lobules from hepatocytes have been revealed in the period from 60 to 90 days after the introduction of toxicants. The OD introducing in treatment reduced the collagen content in the liver parenchyma as a whole, especially in the periportal zones, but most of all (up to 5 times) in the interlobular spaces as compared with animals that did not receive OD. This indicates a high antifibrotic efficacy of OD in acute, chronic hepatosis and cirrhosis of the liver.

Keywords

• rats
• liver
• acute hepatosis
• chronic hepatosis
• liver cirrhosis
• oxidized dextran
• hepatoprotection.