Fig. 3

Long-term effects of oxazolone cholangitis. Weight curve (a) comparing biliary injection of oxazolone with vehicle over 6 (n = 12) or 12 (n = 6) weeks. Serum values of ALT (b) measured weekly and CD3-positive cells (T-cell marker, indicated by yellow arrowheads) around the bile ducts with a figure showing mean CD3-positive cell count from six different high-power fields (40×) surrounding bile ducts of indicated mice after 6 weeks (c). Sirius red staining (40×) after 6 weeks (d) and histologic evaluation of portal fibrosis where the score indicates degree of pathology as either absent (0), mild (1) or moderate (2) in indicated mice with representative H&E staining (40×) of livers after 6 and 12 weeks (e). Scale bars represent 50 μm (asterisks: bile ducts; black arrowheads: portal fibrosis; yellow arrowheads: CD3-positive cells). Each symbol represents a single mouse. Data from one representative experiment, except for the weight curve (a) where data were pooled for weeks 0–6 from two experiments with different time points for killing, presented as mean ± SEM. Representative results from three independent experiments with 6-week follow-up are shown, while the experiment with 12-week time point was not repeated. H&E hematoxylin and eosin, Oxa oxazolone, Veh vehicle, ALT alanine transaminase, wks weeks, ns nonsignificant. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01