Abstract: Objective To study liver ultrastructure in acute liver failure of rats and understand morphological characteristic of apoptosic cells in the particular environment.Methods Acute liver failure were induced by D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide intraperitoneal injection in Wistar Rats,Mortality and survival time were recorded,Ten rats were sacrificed at 4,8,and 12 hours after injection,respectively,Liver function tests and liver pathological changes were measured after treatment with D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide,cell apoptosis was detected by Tunnel assay.Ultrastruture changes were observed in 4,8 hours after treatment.Results 80% of rats died from liver failure,the mean survival time is 15.6±1.8 hours.The ultrastructure changes in 4 hours included swollen mitochondria,enlargement of endoplasmic reticulum,cytoplasmic inclusion bodies,condensation and margination of chromatin,as well as characteristic formation of intracellular apoptotic bodies.Hepatocyte apoptosis became significant at 8 hours after treatment,with different stages and different mitochondrial changes.Index of apoptosis was significantly higher in 8 hours group,in accordance with electronic microscopy results.Conclusion In D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide-induced acute liver failure rats,hepatocytes apoptosis were main histopathologic representation,which is similar with acute liver failure caused by hepatitis B virus in human.

Key words: rat, acute liver failure, D-galactosamine, lipopolysaccharide, ultrastructure