ESOPHAGEAL-VARICES IN RAT MODELS OF LIVER-CIRRHOSIS

Animal models resembling the human situation are very useful to invest igate human disease. However, there has been no evidence of esophageal varices in rats with liver cirrhosis. In the present study, to determ ine whether intrahepatic portal hypertension produced by liver cirrhos is induces esophageal varices in rats, the esophagus was examined endo scopically in rat models of liver cirrhosis. All rats given carbon tet rachloride or thioacetamide and six of seven rats given a choline-defi cient diet had esophageal varices or Venous dilatation after 16 weeks of treatment, although the varices In one rat given carbon tetrachlori de and in two rats given a choline-deficient diet were reduced from we eks 16 to 18. These findings suggest that timing is important when stu dying esophageal varices in rat models of liver cirrhosis. II is concl uded that certain models of liver cirrhosis in rats could be used as m odels of esophageal varices due to intrahepatic portal hypertension.