D-galactosamine induced hepatic cirrhosis: its ultrastructural and biochemical studies in rat.

The morphological and biochemical studies were performed on the injured livers of female rats produced by chronic administration of D-galactosamine (GALN) (250 mg/kg, i.p.) for 7 months. Light microscopically, cirrhotic changes were observed in most of the animals characterized by the proliferation of the connective tissues from portal triads into hepatic lobules. The electron microscopic study demonstrated mitochondrial proliferation and irregularities with crenated membranes, focal hypertrophy of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum, decrease of the rough endoplasmic reticulum with partial detouchment of ribosomes, slight loss of compactness of nucleoli and no remarkable accumulation of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm. The proliferation of collagen fibers was observed around the hepatocytes and acid mucopolysaccharides were seen in the space of Disse and partly in the sinusoids histochemically using electron microscope. Biochemically chronic GALN administration, which increased hepatic weight significantly, resulted in a significant decrease in microsomal protein concentration, whereas cytochrome P450 content significantly increased. There was no change in phospholipid contents. After GALN, plasma albumin concentration was significantly decreased and the value of zinc turbidity test was increased. However, there was no change in plasma GPT level and total cholesterol concentration.