Reversibility of hepatic histological damage after surgical temporary obstruction of the common bile duct in a murine model.

The reversibility of hepatic histological damage after restoring bile flow in a murine model was assessed. 25 male Balb C mice (25-35 g, age 6 weeks) were divided into 5 groups and their common bile duct (CBD) fastened to obstruct the release of gall bladder and liver contents. Group I, CBD untied at day 10, group II at day 15, and groups III and IV at days 20 and 30, respectively. Hematoxilin-eosin stained liver slices were analysed 0, 5, 10 and 20 days after restoring bile flow. Group I showed slight histological lesions (second stage), as cholangiolar bile pigment concretion, pericholangiolar and portal collagen accumulation; group II, mild lesions (third stage), as cholangiolar hamartomatous proliferation and bile duct portal fibrosis; group III showed severe lesions (fourth stage), as loss of functional parenchyma, and also the second and first stage lesions. Group IV died before 30 days. First stage corresponds to absent lesions (control group). Group I recovered totally, group II recovered only from slight lesions and group III had irreversible damage. Severity of lesions increased gradually and accumulatively, irreversible hepatic damage was achieved at 20 days and is deadly at 30 days. Our model of temporary CBD obstruction was suitable to assess reversibility of hepatic histological damage.