Abstract
Extract: Histochemical staining of alkaline phosphatase was performed on liver tissue of three groups of Wistar rats: (group 1) 44 fetuses between 14 days gestational age and birth; (group 2) 76 neonatal rats between 0 and 10 days of age and; (group 3) 44 neonatal rats between 0 hr and 10 days of age, born to dams subjected to bile duct ligation 2 days before delivery.
In tissue from animals of group 1 a progressive evolution was observed in the pattern of “canalicular‘’ staining and in the degree of positive reaction obtained.
In tissue from animals of group 2 a striking deviation from the usual staining pattern observed at birth was seen from the 12th hr on, returning gradually to “normal‘’ by the 10th day. This change resembled different cholestatic conditions seen in tissue of adult rats. From the 6th hr until the 2nd day a slight accumulation of histochemically detectable conjugated bilirubin was observed.
In animals from group 3 a similarly “abnormal‘’ alkaline phosphatase picture was observed at birth (0 hr), whereas no bilirubin could be visualized. The findings seen in animals of group 2 suggest the occurrence of a cholestatic phenomenon in early neonatal life of normal rats, presumably caused by temporary immaturity of the liver secretory function, hepatocytes or bile ducts, or both. The results found in animals of group 3 indicate that the sequence of changes observed in the neonatal period can be accelerated by enforcing a secretory load upon the fetal liver.
Speculation: A secretory immaturity of the liver cell seen in neonatal rat liver tissue could also exist in human neonatal liver, and may be an important factor in different conditions of human neonatal jaundice. One could further speculate whether the so-called “inspissated bile syndrome” observed in young children with severe hemolysis might not be partly due to a similar immaturity of the excretory mechanisms of the liver cell.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wolf-Peeters, C., Vos, R. & Desmet, V. Histochemical Evidence of a Cholestatic Period in Neonatal Rats. Pediatr Res 5, 704–709 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197112000-00008
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197112000-00008
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Fetal and neonatal bile acid synthesis and metabolism — Clinical implications
Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease (1991)
-
Relocalization of membrane enzymes accompanies biliary atresia in lamprey liver
Cell and Tissue Research (1984)