title: Oxidative stress in the development of liver cirrhosis: a comparison of two different experimental models.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oxidative stress has been implicated in liver cirrhosis. Carbon tetrachloride and thioacetamide are the most widely used models to develop cirrhosis in rats and the present study compares oxidative stress in the liver induced by these compounds at different stages of cirrhosis development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twice-weekly intragastric or intraperitoneal administration of carbon tetrachloride or thioacetamide, respectively, produced liver cirrhosis after 3 months. Histology, serum markers and hepatic hydroxy proline content confirmed the cirrhosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An increase in oxidative stress parameters was seen in mitochondria, peroxisomes and microsomes from the liver after carbon tetrachloride or thioacetamide treatment. Oxidative stress was more severe in carbon tetrachloride treated animals than thioacetamide. Mild oxidative stress was evident at 1 and 2 months of treatment and a significant increase was seen by 3 months of treatment with either compound. By this time, frank liver cirrhosis was also observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that evidence of oxygen free radicals is also found early in the development of fibrosis and cirrhosis in both models.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. wellcome@cmcvellore.ac.in
authors.forename: Sathish Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Natarajan
authors.forename: Simmy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Prabhu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramamoorthy
authors.forename: Jayasree
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Basivireddy
authors.forename: Anna B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Pulimood
authors.forename: Anup
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.forename: Kunissery A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Balasubramanian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology; D008933:Mitochondrial Swelling; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D020675:Peroxisomes / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013853:Thioacetamide / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D013853:Thioacetamide; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride