FIG. 5.

Histological and morphometric analyses of the liver of nongenetic mouse model. (A) Gross appearance of the NAFLD livers from mice fed the HFrD for 8 weeks and injected with STZ (HFrD+STZ, n=10 mice per group). The livers from WT mice were pale and yellow in color, whereas those from Tg mice showed no remarkable gross features. Scale bar=5 mm. (B) Representative photomicrographs of H&E stained sections revealed lipid accumulation and inflammation particularly in WT mice after HFrD+STZ (n=10 mice per group). The livers from Tg mice contained no or very few lipid droplets in hepatocytes, and no inflammatory foci. By contrast, the livers from WT mice contained significantly more lipid droplets compared with those in Tg mice. C, central vein; P, portal vein. Original magnification:×40. Scale bar=400 μm. (C) High-power views of H&E stained sections revealed macrovesicular and microvesicular steatosis throughout the entire lobules in NAFLD livers from WT mice (HFrD+STZ, n=10 mice per group), as well as scattered lobular and perivenular inflammation (arrowhead). Ballooning hepatocytes were occasionally seen in the WT livers (inset). C, central vein. Original magnification:×200. Scale bar=80 μm. (D) Oil red-O staining confirmed increased lipid accumulation in the NAFLD livers from WT mice compared with Tg mice (HFrD+STZ, n=10 mice per group). C, central vein. Original magnification:×200, Scale bar=40 μm. (E) Quantitative scoring of fat accumulation and inflammation in the NAFLD livers of WT and Tg mice (HFrD+STZ, n=10 mice per group). Steatosis and inflammation scores were significantly higher in the WT livers than in the Tg livers. The NASH score was also higher in the WT livers than in the Tg livers. (F) Hepatic TG and FFA contents were significantly higher in WT mice than in Tg mice (HFrD+STZ, n=10 mice per group). Values are means±SE. *p<0.05, ***p<0.0001. H&E, hematoxylin and eosin; NAFLD, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; NASH, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. To see this illustration in color, the reader is referred to the web version of this article at www.liebertpub.com/ars