Perisinusoidal stellate cells in a model of experimental liver cirrhosis

: The association of the common bile duct (CBD) ligation followed by CCl4 and progesterone treatment leads to liver cirrhosis in rats in 28 days. The resulting cirrhosis shows mixed aspects: it starts as biliary cirrhosis and goes on to nodular and periportal pseudolobular form of cirrhosis. Because Ito cells are the main source of extracellular matrix components, changing their phenotype from quiescent Ito cells to myofibroblast like cells, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the behaviour of Ito cells by the immunohistochemistry technique of desmin and alpha-SM-actin after these treatments. After CBD ligation alone, positive Ito cells for desmin remarkably proliferate around adenomateous areas; after treatment with CCl4 alone desmin positive stellate cells are more numerous. Desmin positive Ito cells in CBD ligation and CCl4 treatment were even larger than those of the previous lots. Significant differences were not observed after progesterone and for the alpha-SM-actin positive cells.