Table 1.

CD31, Ki67 and VEGF score. Vascular density in the liver tissue was assessed by determining the count of CD31-labelled endothelial cells in five areas of the total liver lobe at 10× magnification. We have counted in each area the positive CD31-labelled blood vessels and took the sum of all five areas. The mean number of blood vessels ± SEM is given. Ki67-positive proliferating endothelial cells were counted in 10 areas of the total liver lobe at 40× magnification. The number of proliferating endothelial cells ± SEM is given. The intensity of VEGF staining was semi-quantitatively scored as follows: 1 = <30% of hepatocytes stained, 2 = 30–70% of hepatocytes stained, 3 = >70% of hepatocytes stained. The mean intensity of VEGF ± SEM is given

	Control 16 weeks (n = 4)	CCl4 4 weeks (n = 6)	CCl4 8 weeks (n = 6)	CCl4 10 weeks (n = 6)	CCl4 12 weeks (n = 6)	CCl4 16 weeks (n = 6)
A: CCl4*
CD31	55.8 ± 5.6	104.3 ± 5.7a,e	150 ± 14.2b,f	135 ± 12.0c,g	151.5 ± 20.5b	205 ± 10.5d
Ki67	0	16.3 ± 5.3d	25.0 ± 6.9	47 ± 4.2a	31.3 ± 5.3b	33.7 ± 3.8c
VEGF	1 ± 0	2 ± 0.2a,e	2 ± 0.2a,e	2 ± 0.4b	2 ± 0.5c	3 ± 0d

	Sham-operated 6 weeks (n = 4)	CBDL 1 week (n = 6)	CBDL 3 weeks (n = 6)	CBDL 6 weeks (n = 6)
B: Common bile duct ligation†
CD31	55.8 ± 5.6	80.8 ± 5.9a,b	181.8 ± 23.1a	147.8 ± 35.0a
Ki67	0	2 ± 0	33.7 ± 4.8a, b	30.0 ± 10.0
VEGF	1 ± 0	2 ± 0.2a,b	3 ± 0.2a	3 ± 0a

^*CD31: ^aP = 0.05 vs. control, ^bP = 0.006 vs. control, ^cP = 0.011 vs. control, ^dP = 0.004 vs. control, ^eP = 0.004 vs. 16 weeks CCl₄, ^fP = 0.028 vs. 16 weeks CCl₄, ^gP = 0.010 vs. 16 weeks CCl₄

Ki67: ^aP = 0.007 vs. control, ^bP = 0.009 vs. control, ^cP = 0.01 vs. control, ^dP = 0.01 vs. 10 weeks

VEGF: ^aP = 0.003 vs. control, ^bP = 0.004 vs. control, ^cP = 0.016 vs. control, ^dP = 0.001 vs. control, ^eP = 0.004 vs. 16 weeks CCl₄.

^†CD31: ^aP < 0.01 vs. sham-operated, ^bP= 0.001 vs. CBDL 3 and 6 weeks

Ki67: ^aP= 0.02 vs. sham-operated, ^bP= 0.02 vs. CBDL 1 week

VEGF: ^aP= 0.001 vs. sham-operated, ^bP= 0.002 vs. CBDL 3 and 6 weeks.