ADMINISTRATION OF PROSTAGLANDIN-E1 ANALOG REDUCES RAT HEPATIC AND ITOCELL COLLAGEN GENE-EXPRESSION AND COLLAGEN ACCUMULATION AFTER BILE-DUCT LIGATION INJURY

Recent studies suggest that prostaglandin E may have the ability to su ppress cytokine responsiveness. We examined the effects of prostagland in E administration on several parameters of acute and chronic liver i njury induced by bile duct ligation. Enisoprost, a prostaglandin E1 an alog, was found to suppress early hepatic and Ito cell type I collagen gene expression without diminishing the induction of the fibrogenic c ytokine transforming growth factor-beta. Overall liver inflammation an d cell proliferation were not altered, suggesting that prostaglandin E acts distal to the initial injurious event(s). During later phases, d rug administration reduced total collagen accumulation and type I coll agen periductular infiltration associated with early nodule formation.