Role of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in the development of hepatic fibrosis in cats with polycystic kidney disease (PKD)

Abstract

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a significant role in hepatic fibrogenesis. In the following study we described the distribution of cells that express alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and desmin in the cat liver with various degrees of fibrosis, as well as the significance of hepatic stellate cells and portal myofibroblasts in the genesis of fibrosis in cats with polycistic kidney disease. Liver samples from 15 necropsied Persian cats were examined microscopically, using H&E and Masson-trichrom methods and immunohistology for α-SMA and desmin. Liver fibrosis was confirmed in cats with terminal stage of chronic cholangiohepatitis and it was characterized by connective tissue septa which divide the liver parenchyma into irregular lobuli. Inflammation in the cat liver is connected with the activation of periductal myofibroblasts. The intensity of immunopositivity of perisinusoidal HSCs to α-SMA and desmin varied depending on the degree of fibrosis and was the strongest in livers of cats with cirrhosis.

U ovom radu je opisana distribucija ćelija koje eksprimiraju α-glatkomišićni aktin (α-SMA) i dezmin u jetri mačaka sa različitim stadijumom fibroze, kao i značaj ovih ćelija u razvoju fibroze, kod mačaka sa policističnim bubrezima. Mikroskopski su ispitani uzorci jetre od 15 obdukovanih persijskih mačaka, korišćenjem HE i Mason-trihromnog bojenja i imunohistohemijski na α-SMA i dezmin. Fibroza jetre potvrđena je kod mačaka sa terminalnim stadijumom hroničnog holangiohepatitisa i odlikovala se prisustvom vezivno-tkivnih septi koje dele parenhim na nejednake lobuluse. Inflamacija u jetri mačaka u vezi je sa aktivacijom periduktalnih miofibroblasta. Intenzitet imunohistohemijske reakcije perisinusoidnih HSCs na α-SMA i dezmin razlikovala se od stepena fibroze i bio je najjači u jetri mačaka sa cirozom.