Neutrophil migration during liver cirrhosis in rabbits.

1. The aim of the present study was to investigate neutrophil chemotaxis during the induction of liver cirrhosis in rabbits. 2. Liver cirrhosis was induced in male New Zealand white rabbits. The study consisted of three experimental groups: (i) group A (n=16) served as the control and received only normal chow and all rabbits in this group were killed at 16 weeks; (ii) group B rabbits (n=8) were killed immediately after the chemotaxis assay, which was performed 24 h after CCl4 administration, at weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8; and (iii) in group C rabbits (n=19), the chemotaxis assay was performed every second week on the day before CCl4 administration for 16 weeks and all animals in this group were killed at 16 weeks. 3. Four of six rabbits in group B had liver cirrhosis at week 8. In group C, liver cirrhosis occurred in seven of eight animals. All rabbits with liver cirrhosis had an inflammatory infiltrate of neutrophils. In group B, there was a significant increase in polymorphonuclear cells and neutrophil chemotaxis and a significant reduction in mononuclear leucocytes at week 8. The rabbits in group C showed a significant increase in total leucocyte and polymorphonuclear numbers at week 10. A significant increase in neutrophil chemotaxis was also observed from week 2 through to week 6. 4. The presence of neutrophils in the liver of all rabbits with cirrhosis, associated with an increase in polymorphonuclear cell chemotaxis during this process, supports the view that this cell type has an important role in the development of toxic liver damage.