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World J Gastroenterol. Feb 21, 2008; 14(7): 1108-1111
Published online Feb 21, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.1108
Ursodeoxycholic acid treatment improves hepatocyte ultrastructure in rat liver fibrosis
Nuket Mas, Ilker Tasci, Bilgin Comert, Ramazan Ocal, Mehmet Refik Mas
Nuket Mas, Department of Anatomy, Kocatepe University, School of Medicine, Afyon, Turkey
Ilker Tasci, Bilgin Comert, Ramazan Ocal, Mehmet Refik Mas, Department of Internal Medicine, Gulhane School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
Correspondence to: Mehmet Refik Mas, Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Gulhane School of Medicine, GATA Ic Hastaliklari Bilim Dali, Etlik 06018, Ankara, Turkey. refikmas@yahoo.com
Telephone: +90-312-3044016
Fax: +90-312-3044000
Received: September 26, 2007
Revised: November 27, 2007
Published online: February 21, 2008
Abstract

AIM: To examine the ultrastructural changes after ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment in hepatocytes from experimentally induced fibrotic livers.

METHODS: Liver fibrosis was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats with CCl4 for 12 wk, and the rats were divided into two groups. Group I was treated with saline and group II with UDCA (25 mg/kg per day) for 4 wk. All the rats were killed at wk 16. Mitochondria, nuclei, rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) of hepatocytes were evaluated according to a scoring system.

RESULTS: Mitochondria, nuclei, RER and SER injury scores in group II were significantly lower than those in groupI(P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: UDCA alleviates hepatocyte organelle injury in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis.

Keywords: Rat liver fibrosis; Rat liver cirrhosis; Ursodeoxycholic acid; Electron microscopy; Hepatocyte ultrastructure