Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on structural and metabolic properties of the stomach of rat fetuses in experimental cholestasis

Abstract

The experimental study of 23 female rats and their 30 fetuses at the age of 19 days using the morphofunctional research methods followed by the morphometric, cytophotometric and statistical analysis showed that fetuses developing in the conditions of endogenous intoxication cholestasis, experimentally simulated on the 17th day of pregnancy, have a reduced body weight, skin yellowness, a reduced thickness of the bottom wall of the stomach, mainly due to the immaturity of the mucous membranes. The formation of gastric glands and its proper dimples is delayed. In cells of the proper glands and cover epithelia, the activity of LDH (lactatdehydrogenase) increases, the activity of SDH (succinatedehydrogenase) and NADH DH reduces, the proliferation and differentiation of cells are slowing, the intracellular synthetic processes are inhibited as evidenced by a decreased content of glycoproteins in epithelial cells. Oral administration of ursodeoxycholic acid for cholestatic females somewhat negates the above mentioned changes in fetuses.