Kinetics of macrophages, myofibroblasts and mast cells in carbon tetrachloride-induced rat liver cirrhosis.
BACKGROUND
Recently, activation of macrophages, myofibroblasts and mast cells have been thought to be associated with liver fibrosis. The present study investigated the kinetics of these cells and the numeric relationship in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced rat liver cirrhosis.


METHODS
Macrophages and myofibroblasts were observed with immunohistochemistry and mast cells were detected by toluidine blue.


RESULTS
Mast cells increased in proportion to the development of fibrosis with a maximum number on week 14. The numbers of macrophages and myofibroblasts increased during weeks 0 to 10 but decreased from weeks 12 to 14.


CONCLUSIONS
The numbers of macrophages and myofibroblasts increased in the development of fibrosis but decreased when cirrhosis was induced. However, mast cells increased in both. Therefore, there was a numerical relationship among the numbers of macrophages, myofibroblasts and mast cells in liver fibrosis but none between the former two cells and the mast cells in liver cirrhosis.
Jeong
Won-Il
WI
Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu City, South Korea.
Lee
Cha-Soo
CS
Park
Sang-Joon
SJ
Chung
Jae-Yong
JY
Jeong
Kyu-Shik
KS
D000818:Animals; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity; D002453:Cell Cycle; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology*; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride