Comparison of ballooned hepatocytes in alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver injury in rats. 
Ballooned hepatocytes are commonly observed in alcoholic and sometimes in non-alcoholic liver diseases.  To clarify whether pathogenesis of this change is different in alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver diseases, changes of the livers in rats fed alcohol with pyrazole for 12 weeks were compared with those of CCl4 treated rats.  Both groups of rats showed marked ballooning of the hepatocytes in the centrolobular area.  Immunohistochemically, the ballooned hepatocytes in alcohol-pyrazole treated rats reacted strongly with transferrin and albumin staining.  However, staining reaction of the ballooned hepatocytes in the CCl4 treated rats was slight.  In alcohol-pyrazole treated rats, hepatic microtubules were significantly decreased.  Retention of transferrin and albumin were found only in the ballooned hepatocytes of alcohol-pyrazole treated rats.  However, in the CCl4 treated rats, neither microtubular alteration nor retention of the exportable proteins was observed.  These findings indicate that the pathogenesis of ballooning of hepatocytes is different in alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver injuries.  In alcoholic liver injury, microtubular alteration may lead to retention of protein and ballooning of hepatocytes by interfering with the hepatic secretion of proteins.