Early stereological changes in liver of Sprague-Dawley rats after streptozotocin injection
Noorafshan, A.; Esmail-Zadeh, B.; Bahmanpour, S.; Poost-Pasand, A.
Indian Journal of Gastroenterology Official Journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology 24(3): 104-107
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 0254-8860 PMID: 16041101 Document Number: 591832
Diabetes mellitus is associated with biochemical, physiological and pathologic alterations in the liver. We measured changes in structure of rat liver after streptozotocin injection, using stereology. Livers of 36 streptozotocin-injected rats were removed after 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Liver volume and weight were measured, and volume-weighted mean volume of hepatocytes and their nuclei were estimated in periportal (Z1), interstitial (Z2) and perivenous (Z3) zones of liver acini. Volume of liver sinusoids was also estimated. Mean volume and weight of the liver were reduced by 15% and 12%, respectively at 4 and 8 weeks after injection. Mean hepatocyte volumes were reduced by approximately 30%, 31% and 24% in Z1, Z2 and Z3 at 4 weeks, 19% and 24% in Z2 and Z3 at 8 weeks, and 14% in Z1 at 12 weeks. Mean volume of hepatocyte nuclei was reduced by approximately 18% and 20% in Z2 and Z3 at 4 weeks, 23% in all three zones at 8 weeks, and 18%, 15% and 13% in Z1, Z2 and Z3, respectively, at 12 weeks. The absolute volume of the sinusoids decreased by 16.5% only at 4 weeks. Streptozotocin injection leads to early reduction in volume of hepatocytes, their nuclei and sinusoids in rat liver.