Role of endotoxemia in the occurrence and development of cirrhosis / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To study the roles of endotoxemia in the occurence and development of cirrhosis. METHODS: The cirrhosis of rats were made by oral intake of thioacetamide (TAA-treated rats). A separate group of rats were subjected to a injection of small dosage of lipopolisaccharride (LPS) in the period of thiocetamide treatment in order to observe the possible effect of LPS on the forming of cirrhosis. RESULTS:Both plasma endotoxin levels and hepatic collagen contents were increased in TAA-treated rats,and there was a linear correlation between them ;Plasma and hepatic tumor necrosis factor (TNF?)、endothelin-1(ET-1)、nitric oxide(NO)、and MDA levels were all increased,and plasma endotoxin was correlated with all of their plasma contents;Only TNF? levels and hepatic collagen contents of TAA+LPS group were increased significantly compared with TAA group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that endotoxemia (ETM) could play an important role in the development of cirrhosis mainly through activating Kupffer cells, which secrete TNF?, ET-1, NO and free radicals could be involved in the process.