Differentia of the correlation between the TIMP-1 expression level and hepatic fibrosis in immune-induced rat liver fibrosis model and CCl_4-induced rat liver fibrosis model

Objective To explore the difference of the correlation between the TIMP-1 expression level and hepatic fibrosis in rat liver fibrosis models induced separately by HSA (human sreum albumin) and CCl_4. Methods The serum TIMP-1 level of experiment rats in the model induced process was detected with ELISA and compared with the results of histopathological grading of liver biopsy, in order to determine whether the serum TIMP-1 level in the two rat fibrosis models could reflect the severity of hepatic fibrosis. Furthermore, in situ hybridization was used to determine the expression difference of TIMP-1 mRNA in the two models. Results The serum TIMP-1 level in immune-induced rat liver fibrosis model can reflect the severity of hepatic fibrosis and the positive in situ hybridization signal of TIMP-1 mRNA is strong; In CCl_4-induced rat liver fibrosis model, the correlation between the serum TIMP-1 level and the severity of hepatic fibrosis is insignificant in statistics. And compared with immune-induced rat liver fibrosis model, the positive in situ hybridization signal of TIMP-1 mRNA is weaker, while the expression variation is higher for the same severity of hepatic fibrosis. Conclusion Process of pathological changes of immune-induced rat liver fibrosis model is gradual and serum TIMP-1 level can reflect the severity of fibrosis. CCl_4-induced rat liver fibrosis model developed faster in comparison with immune-induced rat liver fibrosis model and no significant correlation exists between serum TIMP-1 level and the severity of fibrosis.