A microcholangiographic study of liver disease models in rats.
OBJECTIVE
Rats develop hepatobiliary injury due to small bowel bacterial overgrowth (SBBO) that, at specimen, resembles cholangiography sclerosing cholangitis. To better visualize the smaller bile ducts, we used microcholangiography to determine the spectrum of biliary lesions in this and five other models of liver disease.


METHODS
The models studied were as follows: (1) Surgically created jejunal, self-filling blind loops induce SBBO. (2) Intraperitoneal injection of a bacterial cell wall polymer, peptidoglycan-polysaccharide (PG-PS), causes granulomatous hepatitis. (3) Intraperitoneal injection of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) causes sinusoidal congestion and shock. (4) Bile duct ligation induces bile duct proliferation. (5) Alpha-naphthyl-isothiocyanate (ANIT) induces bile duct proliferation. (6) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) causes fibrosis and cirrhosis. Warmed barium sulfate, gelatin, and saline were injected in the extrahepatic bile duct. Liver slices (2 mm) underwent microradiographic techniques, and images were correlated with histology.


RESULTS
Rats with SBBO had irregular and dilated extrahepatic bile ducts with thickened walls. Rats treated with endotoxin and CCl4 had normal microcholangiograms. Bile duct proliferation was identified following ANIT and bile duct ligation. Rats given PG-PS demonstrated irregular intrahepatic bile ducts. Microcholangiograms following SBBO and PG-PS showed similarities including focal ductal dilatation, narrowing, proliferation, and destruction.


CONCLUSIONS
Various models of liver injury induce characteristic cholangiographic appearances. Microcholangiography is useful in examining biliary tract lesions and complements histology.
Lichtman
S N
SN
Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
Wang
J
J
Clark
R L
RL
D015058:1-Naphthylisothiocyanate / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D001649:Bile Duct Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity; D002455:Cell Division; D002758:Cholangiography; D003287:Contrast Media; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008026:Ligation; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
D003287:Contrast Media; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D015058:1-Naphthylisothiocyanate; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride