CXCL4 Contributes to the Pathogenesis of Chronic Liver Allograft Dysfunction

Figure 2

The characteristics of rat CLAD models. CLAD, allogeneic BN-to-Lewis rat liver transplantation with low-dose Tacrolimus Induction. Control, BN-to-BN rat liver transplantation with low-dose Tacrolimus Induction. (a) Recipient survival in different rat orthotopic liver transplantation models. The survival time was shorter in the CLAD group ( days) than in the control group ( days, ). (b, c) Liver allograft function was evaluated by serum levels of AST and TBIL detected on POD 60. All CLAD liver grafts had moderate to severe dysfunction: AST  mg/dL, TBIL  mg/dL, but no apparent alterations were observed in Control group (AST 62.76 ± 15.6 mg/dL, ; TBIL  mg/dL, ). (d–g) The pathologic characteristics of low-dose Tacrolimus-induced rat CLAD liver grafts at POD 60. HE stain ((d, e) ×200), Masson stain ((f, g) ×200). The pathology of the CLAD grafts was characterized by the loss of portal vein and loss of bile ducts in portal areas, intimal fibrous thickening without elastosis in hepatic arteries, and intraluminal fibrosis of the central veins with perivenular fibrosis, indicating the development of CLAD. No apparent histologic alterations were observed in the control group.

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