Hepatocyte apoptotic index and p53 expression in obstructive jaundice rats

Obstructive jaundice is a serious disease. It can deteriorate critical functions in the liver.

A total of 20 male Wistar-Albino rats were randomly allocated into two groups consisting of ten in each as follows: Group I (Control) was subjected to a sham operation isolating the bile duct. Group II(Study) was subjected to acute cholestasis induced by bile duct ligation with 4/0 silk suture from two different places and full fold cut between ligatures. On the 7th day, group II rats were re-operated for liver sampling and sacrification-aimed histological analysis through the old incision with anaesthesia. Hepatic tissues were histologically and immunohistochemically processed. The number of apoptotic and p53(+) cells were measured.

On the 7th day, the averages of direct and indirect bilirubin values in Group II rats were found to be 6.99 and 11.70 mg/dl, respectively. They were observed to be statistically significant. In the immunohistochemical evaluation p53 expression in hepatocytes was assessed, p53-positive hepatocytes were determined to exist quite widely in the tissue samples taken from the livers of rats in the study group. Nevertheless, no cells exhibiting p53 expression were found in the tissue samples of the control group.

Apoptosis is a closed box and it might make it possible to stop the many disease processes or accelerate the healing. If the principal effective mechanism in the liver under a certain stress factor is apoptosis, it is definite that it will make a difference in the treatment approach. Consequently, we can say that both apoptotic index and p53 expression increase in the rats' liver with biliary obstruction (Fig. 4, Ref. 51).