Production of septal fibrosis of the liver by means of foreign protein injections into rats.
Similarities and differences in antigenic humoral responses and electrophoretic patterns between Capillaria hepatica and pig-serum were investigated as a contribution to the understanding of hepatic fibrosis induced by the parenteral administration of foreign proteins. Only two out of 10 rats receiving repeated intraperitoneal injections of an extract of Capillaria hepatica-infected mouse liver presented septal hepatic fibrosis (20%). Under the same experimental conditions, 4 out of 9 rats (44.4%) developed septal fibrosis following whole pig-serum administration. Injections of normal mouse liver extracts did not result in hepatic fibrosis. Since a 100% septal fibrosis rate is observed in experimentally Capillaria hepatica-infected rats, it appeared that Capillaria hepatica products continuously released from inside the liver creates a much more effective fibrosis inducing mechanism than the parenteral administration of such factors. Thus, repeated peritoneal administration of a foreign protein to rats would not reveal the full fibrogenic potential it may have under natural conditions.
Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, BA, Brasil.
Bruna Magalhães
BM
Gotardo
Rodrigo Guimarães
RG
Andrade
Ludmila Fernandes
LF
Oliveira
Zilton A
ZA
Andrade
D000818:Animals; D002195:Capillaria / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008109:Liver Diseases, Parasitic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013552:Swine
D015801:Helminth Proteins