Skip to main content
The American Journal of Pathology logoLink to The American Journal of Pathology
. 1978 Aug;92(2):411–420.

Collagenase in experimental carbon tetrachloride cirrhosis of the liver.

I Montfort, R Pérez-Tamayo
PMCID: PMC2018284  PMID: 209692

Abstract

The presence and distribution of collagenase in experimental CCl4 cirrhosis of the liver in rats has been studied by immunohistochemical techniques. A monospecific anti-rat uterus collagenase antibody was raised in rabbits and used for indirect immunofluorescence staining of liver sections obtained from rats in both the reversible and irreversible stages of CCl4-induced cirrhosis. Collagenase is present assoicated with connective tissue septums as long as cirrhosis is reversible, and it is not detectable in the irreversible stage. In animals sacrificed during the transition between the reversible and irreversible stages of cirrhosis, collagenase appeared bound to the outer surfaces of connective tissue septums and was absent from the deeper portions. These observation suggest that the irreversibility of experimental CCl4 cirrhosis of the liver is associated with a disturbance in the mechanisms of collagen degradation, which may be a deficiency in collagenase activity, a change in the susceptibility of the substrate, or a combination of both factors.

Full text

PDF
411

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BAGGENSTOSS A. H. Postnecrotic cirrhosis: morphology, etiology and pathogenesis. Prog Liver Dis. 1961;1:14–38. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. GALL E. A. Posthepatitic, postnecrotic, and nutritional cirrhosis: a pathologic analysis. Am J Pathol. 1960 Mar;36:241–271. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. GROSS J., LAPIERE C. M. Collagenolytic activity in amphibian tissues: a tissue culture assay. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1962 Jun 15;48:1014–1022. doi: 10.1073/pnas.48.6.1014. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. HUTTERER F., RUBIN E., SINGER E. J., POPPER H. Quantitative relation of cell proliferation and fibrogenesis in the liver. Cancer Res. 1961 Feb;21:206–215. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hutterer F., Eisenstadt M., Rubin E. Turnover of hepatic collagen in reversible and irreversible fibrosis. Experientia. 1970 Mar 15;26(3):244–245. doi: 10.1007/BF01900070. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Montfort I., Pérez-Tamayo R. The distribution of collagenase in normal rat tissues. J Histochem Cytochem. 1975 Dec;23(12):910–920. doi: 10.1177/23.12.172556. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Okazaki I., Maruyama K. Collagenase activity in experimental hepatic fibrosis. Nature. 1974 Nov 1;252(5478):49–50. doi: 10.1038/252049a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. PATEK A. J., Jr, OKEN D. E., SAKAMOTO A., DE FRITSCH N., BEVANS M. Recovery from dietary cirrhosis of the liver in the rat; changes in hepatic collagen and in microscopic appearance. Arch Pathol. 1960 Feb;69:168–174. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. PLOUGH I. C., PATEK A. J., Jr, BEVANS M. The relative effects of protein, choline, and methionine in the treatment of experimental dietary cirrhosis in the rat. J Exp Med. 1952 Sep;96(3):221–231. doi: 10.1084/jem.96.3.221. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. POPPER H., ELIAS H. Histogenesis of hepatic cirrhosis studied by the threedimensional approach. Am J Pathol. 1955 May-Jun;31(3):405–441. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Popper H., Kent G. Fibrosis in chronic liver disease. Clin Gastroenterol. 1975 May;4(2):315–332. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Popper H. Pathologic aspects of cirrhosis. A review. Am J Pathol. 1977 Apr;87(1):228–264. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Popper H., Uenfriend S. Hepatic fibrosis. Correlation of biochemical and morphologic investigations. Am J Med. 1970 Nov;49:707–721. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9343(70)80135-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Rojkind M., Diaz de León L. Collagen biosynthesis in cirrhotic rat liver slices a regulatory mechanism. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1970 Oct 15;217(2):512–522. doi: 10.1016/0005-2787(70)90548-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Takada A., Porta E. A., Hartroft W. S. The recovery of experimental dietary cirrhosis. I. Functional and structural features. Am J Pathol. 1967 Dec;51(6):929–957. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Takada A., Porta E. A., Hartroft W. S. The recovery of experimental dietary cirrhosis. II. Turnover changes of hepatic cells and collagen. Am J Pathol. 1967 Dec;51(6):959–976. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The American Journal of Pathology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Investigative Pathology

RESOURCES