Morphological changes of the intrahepatic bile ducts, Glisson's capsule and hepatic parenchyma after loading obstruction and infection of the biliary tract on partial lobe of the liver of mongrel dogs were studied in order to examine the pathophysiology of the hepatolithiasis.
In the Glisson's capsule at the region of the large intrahepatic bile duct, in infective group, the large bile duct revealed the same proliferative cholangitis which is found most frequently in human hepatolithiasis. In the Glisson's capsule at the region of the septal and interlobular bile duct, in infective group, the degree of periductal fibrosis ratio gradually increased and caliber ratio of portal vein gradually decreased. The parenchyma of the liver in infective group developed atrophy. On the other hand, in non-infective group, mild liver atrophy was seen but there was no finding of proliferative cholangitis.
From the above, it is s uggested that proliferative cholangitis may be raised by bile stasis and biliary tract infection, and the degree of hepatic atrophy may become severer due to the decrease of the portal vein flow, when biliary tract infection is added to bile stasis.
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