Distribution of Hepatic Myofibroblasts and Type I and III Collagen in Rat Liver Cirrhosis Induced by Thioacetamide

Thioacetamide (TAA) can induce various types of cirrhosis in the rat, including bridging fibrosis, biliary fibrosis, perisinusoidal/pericellular fibrosis and centrilobular fibrosis, in which different populations of hepatic myofibroblasts (MFs) are involved. The hepatic MFs can be classified into 3 groups: (a) portal/septal MFs; (b) activated hepatic stellate cell myofibroblasts (HSC/MFs); and (c) interface myofibroblasts (IF/MFs). The present study was carried out to examine the morphology and localization of hepatic MFs in relation to the distribution of type I and III collagen in rat cirrhotic livers. Immunohistochemistry to a-smooth muscle actin was employed to demonstrate the morphology and localization of the subpopulations of hepatic MFs. The distribution of type I and III collagen was investigated by using specific antibodies. Portal and septal MFs were windmill in shape and localized around tributaries of the portal and hepatic veins where type I and III collagen was accumulated. HSC/MFs with arachnoid in shape were localized in the spaces of Disse and spaces between neighboring hepatocytes where type I collagen was formed. IF/MFs showed arachnoid shapes and distributed along the margin of fibrous septa where type I collagen was condensed. MFs with polygonal shapes were also found around the wall of hepatic sinusoids, margin of fibrous septa and around the portal tract. They were probably transitional cells to the mature MFs. Our data suggest that each subpopulation of hepatic MFs shows characteristic morphology and localization, which correlates with localization of type I and/or type III collagen.