Decreased Reticuloendothelial Phagocytic Capacity in Cirrhotic and Portacaval Shunt Rats

Abstract

In cirrhosis, the phagocytic function of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) is decreased. In order to investigate the mechanisms of the hepatic reduced phagocytic activity present in cirrhosis, the hepatic and splenic uptake of ⁵¹Cr sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and of colloidal carbon was measured in three groups of Sprague-Dawley rats. Group 1 consisted of 42 control rats, group 2 of 36 rats with end-to-side portacaval shunt and group 3 of 24 rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced cirrhosis. The hepatic uptake of ⁵¹Cr SRBC and of colloidal carbon was significantly (p < 0.001) reduced in cirrhotic rats (group 3). Conversely, in rats with a portacaval shunt and a noncirrhotic liver (group 2), the hepatic uptake of ⁵¹Cr SRBC was moderately reduced, whereas the colloidal carbon hepatic uptake was not found to be decreased. These results suggest that the decreased RES phagocytic activity observed in cirrhotic rats is only partially due to portacaval shunt and that an intrinsic defective activity of hepatic phagocytic cells is probably present.

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide–mediated Hepatic Signal Intensity Change in Patients with and without Cirrhosis: Pulse Sequence Effects and Kupffer Cell Function

“…Phagocytic activity, which has been reported to be reduced in cirrhotic liver (1), is dependent on both the number of sinusoidal Kupffer cells (KCs) per unit volume of hepatic parenchyma (KC tissue density) and on individual KC function. Despite numerous investigations of reticuloendothelial system function in chronic hepatic injury (2)(3)(4)(5), to our knowledge, no clinical method has been reported to distinguish KC tissue density from individual KC function in the hepatic reticuloendothelial system. Although the number of KCs can be estimated with immunohistologic staining, it is difficult to assess KC function either ex vivo or in vivo.…”

Pretreatment with Soluble Thrombomodulin Prevents Intrasinusoidal Coagulation and Liver Dysfunction following Extensive Hepatectomy in Cirrhotic Rats

“…In liver cirrhosis, endogenous endotoxemia can be easily induced by decreased functioning of the reticuloendothelial system and increased bacterial translocation from the gastrointestinal tract (9,10). In addition, hepatic macrophages in an experimental cirrhotic liver show higher tissue factor activity than those in normal liver (11).…”

Improvement of Normothermic Rat Liver Ischemia/Reperfusion by Muramyl Dipeptide

“…Another set of 25 animals were prepared in the same manner described above for assessment of Kupffer cell phagocytic activity. The MPS phagocytic activity was tested as previously described [26], measuring the hepatic uptake of 51 Cr-labeled erythrocytes in five sham-operated control animals and in groups 1 and 2 (10 rats for each group). Rats were…”