Changes in morphometric indicators of rats’ liver vessels under conditions of long-term ethanol exposure

Abstract

Acetaldehyde, the main toxic metabolite of ethanol biotransformation, is responsible for the differentiation of stellate cells into myofibroblasts, which secrete collagen in the perisinusoidal space, which leads to capillarization of the sinusoids and, as a result, impaired blood supply. The purpose of the work was to study the morphometric indicators of the vascular bed of the liver of rats under the conditions of chronic alcoholic hepatitis modeling. Experiments were performed on 30 white, sexually mature male Wistar rats weighing 180–220 g. The animals were divided into 2 groups: I – control (n=6); II group – animals on which we modeled chronic alcoholic hepatitis (n=24) by the method of forced intermittent alcoholization for 5 days, with a repeat after two days by intraperitoneal injection of a 16.5% ethanol solution on a 5.0% glucose solution, at the rate of 4 ml/kg. Animals were removed from the experiment on days 10, 14, 21 and 28 by taking blood from the right ventricle of the heart under thiopental anesthesia. On the 10^th day of simulation of chronic alcoholic hepatitis, the internal diameter of the central vein, lobular arteriole and venule, and interlobular vein increased, and the interlobular artery decreased compared to the control. On the 14^th day of simulation of chronic alcoholic hepatitis, the inner diameter of the central vein, lobular arteriole, and interlobular vein of the liver of rats increased compared to the control. On the 21^st day of simulation of chronic alcoholic hepatitis, the inner diameter of the central vein, lobular arteriole, and interlobular vein increased, and that of the interlobular artery decreased compared to the control. On the 28^th day of simulation of chronic alcoholic hepatitis, the internal diameter of the central vein, lobular arteriole and venule, and interlobular vein increased, and the interlobular artery decreased compared to the control.

Keywords: arteries, veins, sinusoidal capillaries, alcohol, hepatitis, morphometry.