HEPATOCYTE GROWTH FACTOR IN MINK LIVER IN CASES OF MYCOSES

Abstract

In the present work we have studied the prevalence of fungal flora in the liver of 18 dark brown minks. We isolated 12 genus of moulds. Members of the genus Candida, Aspergillus and Penicillium were the most frequently isolated strains. When mink are infected with fungi, the cell recruitment is impaired at the site of the infection, the tissue reaction is highly disorganized in target organs and the infection´s evolution is more severe. We studied HGF expression by immunohistochemistry. Our results demonstrated that the distribution of hyphae were between hepatocytes in all areas of liver acinus, but fungal blastospores - mainly in interlobular bile ducts. Allocation of HGF in hepatocytes was observed uniform or non uniform, frequently around bile-ducts and portal tracts. In conclusion, detection of HGF simultaneously to inflammation liver might be connected to the tissue ischemia and damage realized by the same inflammatory cells.