Morphometric and Histochemical Changes in The Liver After Standard and Glucocorticoid (Hormonal) Therapy of Post-Abdominal-Surgery Scars: An Experimental Study

Abstract

Background. Glucocorticoids are widely used to treat pathological post-surgical scars, yet the morphological consequences of such therapy for the liver are not well defined.

Objective. To compare the morphometric and histochemical state of the liver in a rat model of post-abdominal-surgery scarring under standard (conventional) therapy versus glucocorticoid (hormonal) therapy, relative to healthy controls.

Methods. 140 outbred rats were allocated to control, standard-therapy and hormonal-therapy groups. Liver samples were stained with haematoxylin–eosin, Van Gieson, Masson trichrome and Alcian blue. Vascular and cellular structures were measured by digital morphometry; fibrosis, collagen, mucopolysaccharides, sinusoidal change and platelet aggregation were graded semi-quantitatively (0–10). Data are M±m; P<0.05 was significant.

Results. Standard therapy produced marked hypertrophic-inflammatory change: Kupffer cells rose from 11 to 59 (+436%), binucleate hepatocytes from 4.5 to 14 (+211%), central-vein diameter from 54.0 to 59.8 µm, with high histochemical scores (Van Gieson fibrosis 8, Masson collagen 9, Alcian mucopolysaccharides 9) and platelet aggregation (63 platelets/678 px²). Hormonal therapy shifted every indicator toward control values: Kupffer cells 21, binucleate hepatocytes 5, central vein 56.0 µm, mean histochemical score falling from 6.4/5.0/4.8 to 2.0/2.0/1.8, with no platelet aggregation (11 platelets/324 px²).

Conclusion. Standard therapy aggravated hepatic inflammation, hypertrophy, fibrosis and microthrombosis, whereas glucocorticoid therapy attenuated these changes by 3–4-fold and restored a near-normal hepatic architecture, supporting a pathogenetically justified, hepatoprotective role for hormonal therapy under the studied conditions.

Keywords:

Liver, morphometry, histochemistry, glucocorticoid therapy

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