Histologic features of NASH in serial liver biopsies of both groups of swine.

¶Several percutaneous liver biopsy specimens from baseline were gelatinous and bloody precluding adequate examination
*One swine in the control group at week 8 and another swine in the control group at week 24 showed <5% hepatocyte ballooning. The NASH diet group demonstrated progressive histological changes of NASH. In the NASH group, feathery and enlarged hepatocytes, consistent with hepatocyte ballooning, started to appear at week 8 and became more prominent at weeks 16 and 24. By week 24, five out of six swine receiving NASH diet exhibiting extensive hepatocyte ballooning (>90% of the hepatocytes). Kupffer cell vacuolization was first observed at week 8, and it became progressively more prominent at weeks 16 and 24. Pericellular fibrosis was first evident at week 16 and it became more prominent at week 24. At week 16, 3 out of 6 swine in the NASH diet group exhibited mild fibrosis and by week 24, 5 out of 6 swine showed moderate fibrosis. Of note, the NASH diet group demonstrated no evidence of significant macrovesicular steatosis or lobular inflammation throughout the dietary intervention. Liver histology of swine in the control group remained unchanged throughout the intervention period.
Histologic features of NASH in serial liver biopsies of both groups of swine.