Functional state of the hematopoietic system in different stages of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in mice

Abstract

The state of hemopoietic system at different stages of CCL4-induced liver fibrosis in mice and its reaction to stimuli was examined. At early stages of liver fibrosis (2 weeks of CCL4-administration) we observed a disinhibition of granulo-monocytopoiesis. This is manifested in an increase of the number of immature granulocytes, monocytes/macrophages and CFU-GM in the bone marrow. After 24 h of zymosan injection in this stage an increase of both bone marrow CFU-GM and CFU-E, and the rate of serum colony stimulating activity (CSA) occurred. On the contrary, in advanced liver fibrosis (16 weeks of CCL4 administration), the rate of both granulo-monocytopoiesis and erythropoiesis were decreased as compared with the preceding stage of the process and the response to zymosan became perverted: the number of CFU-GM was paradoxically decreased, while the number of CFU-E remained practically unchanged. The rate of serum CSA increased very poorly too. Thus, in advanced liver fibrosis the hemopoietic system is functionally defective and this factor may be important in development of fibrotic process in the liver.