The impact of tissue manipulations on liver mechanics.

<p>Normal livers were subject to the manipulations indicated, and then G' was measured under various strains. (A) G' as a function of compression for treated livers. (B) Strain sweeps of normal liver, disintegrin-treated, amylase-treated, and permeabilized livers at 0% compression. Key as in (A). (C) Strain sweeps of decellularized normal and fibrotic (2 weeks CCl₄) livers at 0% compression, compared to a curve for normal liver (the same as shown in (B)). Note the different shape of the curves for decellularized compared to normal liver. (D) G' measured under 2% oscillatory shear for livers at either 0% or 25% compression. G’ values are after 120 s of relaxation. By two-way ANOVA for the data plotted in (A), G’ for amylase treated livers was significantly reduced from normal and permeabilized livers (brown *, p≤0.02). Disintegrin treatment significantly reduced G’ of normal liver (green *, p = 0) and G’ of decellularized livers was significantly reduced from normal and all other manipulated livers (green *, p = 0). Two-way ANOVA of the data in (D) showed that G’ compared between 0% and 25% compression was significantly different only for normal livers (blue ***, p≤0.001) and permeabilized livers (green ***, p = 0). G’ values at 25% compression were significantly different between normal livers and α-Amylase (*, p≤0.05), VLO4-treated (brown **, p = 0.059), and decellularized livers (brown ***, p = 0). For all graphs, data represent the mean of 3 independent livers +/- SD per condition.