Objective

Duplicating the classical alcoholic hepatic injury model, to provide an ideal animal model for research on prevention and treatment of hepatic injury.

Methods

According to the prescription of Lieber-DeCarli, the same calorie fluid animal feed, which contained ethanol or non-ethanol, was prepared. Twenty-three rats were divided into normal control group (n=5), control liquid diet group (n=9), ethanol liquid diet group (n=9). Rats in the normal control group were fed normal diet, and rats in the control liquid diet group and ethanol liquid diet group were fed the corresponding diet for eight weeks. The pathologic changes of hepatic tissue were observed. The activities of the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), the liver tissue γ-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT), the content of triglyceride (TG), and the lipid peroxidation by-products were assayed.

Results

Compared to the normal control and the control liquid diet groups, the activities of ALT, AST, and γ-GT, and the lipid peroxidation by-products increased significantly in the ethanol liquid diet group. The pathological changes of cellular swelling and fatty degeneration in the ethanol liquid diet group were severe.

Conclusion

Alcoholic hepatic injury model can be successfully duplicated by Lieber-DeCarli prescription.

Key words: Alcohol, Hepatic injury, Ultrastructure, Rats