Ehab Tousson^1,, Ehab M.M. Ali², ADbdel Halim A. Moustafa³, Said S. Moselhey³, Karim S. El-Said²

Thioacetamide (TAA) is a potent hepatotoxin that causes centrilobulal necrosis and nephrotoxic damage following acute administration. Prolonged exposure to TAA can result in bile duct proliferation and liver cirrhosis histologically similar to that caused due to viral hepatitis infection. Hepatic cirrhosis is a complex disease in which several biological, biochemical and chemical alterations are combined, none of these alone being sufficient for diagnosis. The morphological characteristics of the final stages of cirrhosis are well known, but the initial lesions and intermediate stages still have not been fully clarified. Therefore, this work aimed to use of Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry as a marker to differentiate between the control liver and hepatotoxicity by thioacetamide intoxicated group in the male rats. Eight rats were equally divided into 2 groups; the first group was the control group and the second group was injected with TAA by 200 mg/kg body weight twice a week for 12 week. Our results showed that the liver of normal control rats negatively react with PCNA-ir, and the liver sections of the rats intoxicated with TAA showed strong positive reaction for PCNA. Further, we recommend the PCNA index a useful marker for hepatotoxicity.

hepatotoxicity, thioacetamide, immunohistochemistry, PCNA, Rats