title: Time course of collagen peak in bile duct-ligated rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  One of the most useful experimental fibrogenesis models is the "bile duct-ligated rats". Our aim was to investigate the quantitative hepatic collagen content by two different methods during the different stages of hepatic fibrosis in bile duct-ligated rats on a weekly basis. We questioned whether the 1-wk or 4-wk bile duct-ligated model is suitable in animal fibrogenesis trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of the 53 male Wistar rats, 8 (Group 0) were used as a healthy control group. Bile duct ligation (BDL) had been performed in the rest. Bile duct-ligated rates were sacrificed 7 days later in group 1 (10 rats), 14 days later in group 2 (9 rats), 21 days later in group 3(9 rats) and 28 days later in group 4 (9 rats). Eight rats underwent sham-operation (Sham). Hepatic collagen measurements as well as serum levels of liver enzymes and function tests were all analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The peak level of collagen was observed biochemically and histomorphometricly at the end of third week (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05). Suprisingly, collagen levels had decreased with the course of time such as at the end of fourth week (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have shown that fibrosis in bile duct-ligated rats is transient, i.e. reverses spontaneously after 3 weeks. This contrasts any situation in patients where hepatic fibrosis is progressive and irreversible as countless studies performed by many investigators in the same animal model.
authors.affiliation: Acibadem Hospital, Istanbul 34500, Turkey.
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tarcin
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basaranoglu
authors.forename: Veysel
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tahan
authors.forename: Gülgün
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tahan
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sücüllü
authors.forename: Nevin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Gagan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.forename: Ned
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hilman
authors.forename: Cigdem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Celikel
authors.forename: Nurdan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tözün
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000601:surgery*; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005355:Fibrosis; D008026:Ligation; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001663:Bilirubin