Transplantation Of Human Amniotic Membrane Over The Liver Surface Reduces Hepatic Fibrosis In A Cholestatic Model In Young Rats

Purpose . Biliary atresia precedes liver cirrhosis and liver transplantation. Amniotic membrane (AM) promotes tissue regeneration, inhibits fibrosis, and reduces inflammation. Here, we test amniotic membrane potential as a therapeutic tool against cholestatic liver fibrosis. Methods . Three groups of rats were used: sham surgery (SS), bile duct ligature (BDL), and bile duct ligature plus human amniotic membrane (BDL + AM). After surgery, animals were sacrificed at different weeks. Biochemical and histopathological analyses of liver tissue were performed. Collagen was expressed as a percentage of total liver tissue area. qPCR was performed to analyse gene expression levels of transforming growth factor- β 1 ( Tgfb1 ) and apelin ( Apln ). Statistical analysis performed considered <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"><mml:mi>p</mml:mi><mml:mo><</mml:mo><mml:mn>0.05</mml:mn></mml:math> was significant. Results . Groups undergoing BDL developed cholestasis. Biochemical markers from BDL + AM group improved compared to BDL group. Ductular reaction, portal fibrosis, and bile plugs were markedly reduced in the BDL + AM group compared to BDL group. Collagen area in BDL + AM group was statistically decreased compared to BDL group. Finally, expression levels of both Apln and Tgfb1 mRNA were statistically downregulated in BDL + AM group versus BDL group. Conclusion . AM significantly reduces liver fibrosis in a surgical animal model of cholestasis. Our results suggest that AM may be useful as a therapeutic tool in liver cirrhosis.