The Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) on Liver Function and Fibrosis Using a Rat Model of Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl)-Induced Liver Injury: An Experimental Study

Abstract

Significance:
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is an intervention inwhich an individual breathes in nearly 100% oxygen inside a hyperbaricchamber. Numerous studies support HBOT as an efficient therapeutic optionto control progress of diseases due to its multi-modal properties. Currently,there is paucity of data with regard to the effect of HBOT on liver diseases.

Objective:
The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of HBOT onliver function and fibrosis using a rat model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury. Methodology: Fifty-one adult Sprague Dawley rats withCCl4-induced liver injury were randomized into three groups: (1) Pilot(sacrificed immediately after liver injury induction), (2) Control (exposed toroom air), and (3) Experimental (exposed to 12 consecutive 120-minute dailysessions of HBOT 2.8 ATA). Outcome measures are serologic parameters ofliver function and histopathologic evaluation of liver fibrosis.

Results:
There issignificant difference between control and hyperbaric oxygen-treated group inimproving AST (p-value <0.001) and ALT (p-value <0.001) among rats withCCl4-induced liver injury. On histopathologic evaluation, rats exposed to HBOTrevealed very strong evidence of improving degree of hepatic fibrosis (p-value<0.001). Majority of rats (94%) exposed to HBOT revealed mild hepaticfibrosis. Rats in the control group showed 76% having moderate fibrosis and24% having severe fibrosis.

Conclusion:
HBOT exhibited very strong evidencein improving ALT, AST and degree of hepatic fibrosis among adult SpragueDawley rats with CCl4-induced liver injury.