A mouse model of hepatic encephalopathy: bile duct ligation induces brain ammonia overload, glial cell activation and neuroinflammation.

ABSTRACT: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a common complication of chronic liver disease, characterized by an altered mental state and hyperammonemia. Insight into the brain pathophysiology of HE is limited due to a paucity of well-characterized HE models beyond the rat bile duct ligation (BDL) model. Here, we assess the presence of HE characteristics in the mouse BDL model. We show that BDL in C57Bl/6j mice induces motor dysfunction, progressive liver fibrosis, liver function failure and hyperammonemia, all hallmarks of HE. Swiss mice however fail to replicate the same phenotype, underscoring the importance of careful strain selection. Next, in-depth characterisation of metabolic disturbances in the cerebrospinal fluid of BDL mice shows glutamine accumulation and transient decreases in taurine and c

SUBMITTER: Claeys W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9585018 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature