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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Inducing Acute Liver Injury in Rats via Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4) Exposure Through an Orogastric Tube
Published on: April 28, 2020
Ultrastructural changes in hepatocytes after taurine treatment in CCl4 induced liver injury
Ilker Tasci1, Nuket Mas, Mehmet-Refik Mas
1Department of Internal Medicine, Gulhane School of Medicine, Etlik, Ankara, Turkey. itasci@gata.edu.tr
Aim:
To search the organelle based changes in hepatocytes after taurine treatment in experimental liver fibrosis induced by CCl(4) administration.
Methods:
Thirty rats were divided into two groups. Group 1 (n = 15) was injected with CCl(4) plus taurine and Group 2 (n = 15) with CCl(4) plus saline for 12 wk. At the end of 12th wk, mitochondria, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and nuclei of hepatocytes were evaluated using a scoring system. The results were compared with histopathological findings, as well.
Results:
Taurine treatment reduced fibrosis scores significantly as compared to placebo. Organelle injury scores decreased significantly with taurine treatment. Ultrastructural and histopathological scores in both groups were in strong correlation (r = 0.931 for CCl(4) plus taurine and r = 0.899 for CCl(4) plus saline group).
Conclusion:
Organelle based transmission electron microscopy findings can reflect successfully histological results as well as tissue healing in hepatocytes from hepatotoxin-induced liver fibrosis.
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