Abstract:

Objective   To investigate the ultrastructure changes in alcoholic liver injury in order to reveal the pathogenesis of liver toxicity induced by alcohol.  Methods   By establishing the alcoholic fatty liver rat models, we respectively observed histopathological and ultrastructural changes in liver and explored the relationship between them. Results   Under the electron microscope, in the model group, many drops of lipid infiltration were seen and the density of mitochondrial matrix increased. In more severe specimens we even saw the mitochondrial membrane ruptured, the crest broken or disappeared, glucogen increased and was maldistributed. Meanwhile, the abnormal distribution of chromatin in nucleus could be seen. The pathological changes were obviously relieved after stopping alcoholic gavage. Conclusion   As the administered alcohol dose increasing and temporal prolongation, the liver pathological changes under electron and light microscope aggravated uniformly, in which the mitochondria changes occurred early and seriously. Lesions significantly reduced after stop drinking.  Above all，alcohol withdrawal should be the most important principle for the alcoholic liver diseases treatment.

Key words: Alcoholic liver toxicity；Animal model；Ultrastructural observation；Electron microscope；Rats, Wistar