Evaluation of the spontaneous reversibility of carbon tetrachloride-induced liver cirrhosis in rabbits

There is a general consensus that liver fibrosis in humans is potentially reversible, while scepticism prevails on the concept that cirrhosis can be truly reversed. The availability of suitable experimental models is fundamental for disease research. The experimental murine model of liver cirrhosis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Laboratory animals (London) 2012-04, Vol.46 (2), p.122-128
Main Authors: Bravo, E, D'Amore, E, Ciaffoni, F, Mammola, C L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Body Weight - drug effects
Carbon Tetrachloride
Fibrosis
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Liver - drug effects
Liver - pathology
Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental - etiology
Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental - pathology
Male
Necrosis - chemically induced
Necrosis - pathology
Organ Size - drug effects
Rabbits
Recovery of Function - physiology
Remission, Spontaneous
Time Factors
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Summary:There is a general consensus that liver fibrosis in humans is potentially reversible, while scepticism prevails on the concept that cirrhosis can be truly reversed. The availability of suitable experimental models is fundamental for disease research. The experimental murine model of liver cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) reproduces both the histological picture of the postnecrotic cirrhosis and its biochemical and clinical parameters. Normal hepatic structure is modified by formation of regeneration nodules. Fibrosis represents a morphological element of disease and an effect of hepatocyte necrosis. However, the relevance for research of this well-established model of liver cirrhosis is hampered by some spontaneous cirrhosis regression reported in mice and rats. It has been reported that CCl4 also induces experimental liver cirrhosis in rabbits, but it is not known whether the process is reversible in this species. The aim of our study was to investigate this question. Male New Zealand White rabbits were treated intragastrically with CCl4 or the vehicle only for 19 weeks and groups were sacrificed three and five months after treatment interruption. Cirrhotic and control livers were processed for routine light microscopy and for morphometric study of fibrosis by semiquantitative evaluation. The degree of fibrosis was based on the Knodell's scoring system.
ISSN:0023-6772
1758-1117
DOI:10.1258/la.2012.011035