Reviewer's report
Title:The exact time of collagen peak in bile duct ligated rat model
Version: 3Date:15 December 2010
Reviewer: Martin Hennenberg
Reviewer's report:
This is an excellent and fundamental paper. The authors should be congratulated
to their finding, that fibrosis in bile duct-ligated rats is transient, i.e. reverses
spontaneously after 3 weeks. This contrasts 1) any situation in patients, where
hepatic fibrosis is progressive and irreversible, and 2) countless studies
performed by many investigators in the same animal model. In fact, it has been
assumed to date, that hepatic fibrosis in patients and animal models progresses
to cirrhosis, but does not reverse spontaneously as described in this manuscript.
Minor comments:
Title:
Please complete the missing words in the title: “… collagen peak in bile
duct-ligated rats”, instead of the current version (“.. collagen peak in bile duct
ligated”).
Probably “Time course of…”, instead of “The exact time of..…”?
Results:
4.1.: Please adapt formatting: subheading is missing!
It is hard to understand, how animals may loose or gain weight, when “there were
no significant differences between the body weights of the groups”. Please
comment.
4.5.: Please complete the missing words “The peak level of collagen was at the
[…] and of the third week and …”.
Discussion:
On p. 15, line 4-5 the authors state that recanalization of bile ducts may be a
reason for spontaneous regression of fibrosis in their animals. As this shouldn’t
occur at all in proper handling and in this animal model, this speculation should
be deleted from the discussion.
Please complete the missing references: p. 13, last paragraph; p. 14, last
paragraph.
Table 1:
Please replace the commas by dots.
Figures:
The assignment of figures to corresponding legends may be corrected. I think the
current Fig. 2 corresponds rather to the current Fig. 1b in the legends. To my
impression, this tissue resembles more to a micronodular, septic fibrosis, but less
to a secondary, biliary fibrosis/cirrhosis with strong bile duct proliferation. Thus, it
may be replaced by a more representative image. By the way, the green picture
is also very nice. Is it liver?
In the remaining figures, the use of bar diagramms may be better than the
current course diagrams. Importantly, p-values should be included in these
figures.
The manuscript may require some language editing.
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Reviewer's report
Title:The exact time of collagen peak in bile duct ligated rat model
Version: 3Date:15 December 2010
Reviewer: Martin Hennenberg
Reviewer's report:
This is an excellent and fundamental paper. The authors should be congratulated
to their finding, that fibrosis in bile duct-ligated rats is transient, i.e. reverses
spontaneously after 3 weeks. This contrasts 1) any situation in patients, where
hepatic fibrosis is progressive and irreversible, and 2) countless studies
performed by many investigators in the same animal model. In fact, it has been
assumed to date, that hepatic fibrosis in patients and animal models progresses
to cirrhosis, but does not reverse spontaneously as described in this manuscript.
Minor comments:
Title:
Please complete the missing words in the title: “… collagen peak in bile
duct-ligated rats”, instead of the current version (“.. collagen peak in bile duct
ligated”).
Probably “Time course of…”, instead of “The exact time of..…”?
Results:
4.1.: Please adapt formatting: subheading is missing!
It is hard to understand, how animals may loose or gain weight, when “there were
no significant differences between the body weights of the groups”. Please
comment.
4.5.: Please complete the missing words “The peak level of collagen was at the
[…] and of the third week and …”.
Discussion:
On p. 15, line 4-5 the authors state that recanalization of bile ducts may be a
reason for spontaneous regression of fibrosis in their animals. As this shouldn’t
occur at all in proper handling and in this animal model, this speculation should
be deleted from the discussion.
Please complete the missing references: p. 13, last paragraph; p. 14, last
paragraph.
Table 1:
Please replace the commas by dots.
Figures:
The assignment of figures to corresponding legends may be corrected. I think the
current Fig. 2 corresponds rather to the current Fig. 1b in the legends. To my
impression, this tissue resembles more to a micronodular, septic fibrosis, but less
to a secondary, biliary fibrosis/cirrhosis with strong bile duct proliferation. Thus, it
may be replaced by a more representative image. By the way, the green picture
is also very nice. Is it liver?
In the remaining figures, the use of bar diagramms may be better than the
current course diagrams. Importantly, p-values should be included in these
figures.
The manuscript may require some language editing.
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:The exact time of collagen peak in bile duct ligated rat model
Version: 3Date:15 December 2010
Reviewer: Martin Hennenberg
Reviewer's report:
This is an excellent and fundamental paper. The authors should be congratulated
to their finding, that fibrosis in bile duct-ligated rats is transient, i.e. reverses
spontaneously after 3 weeks. This contrasts 1) any situation in patients, where
hepatic fibrosis is progressive and irreversible, and 2) countless studies
performed by many investigators in the same animal model. In fact, it has been
assumed to date, that hepatic fibrosis in patients and animal models progresses
to cirrhosis, but does not reverse spontaneously as described in this manuscript.
Minor comments:
Title:
Please complete the missing words in the title: “… collagen peak in bile
duct-ligated rats”, instead of the current version (“.. collagen peak in bile duct
ligated”).
Probably “Time course of…”, instead of “The exact time of..…”?
Results:
4.1.: Please adapt formatting: subheading is missing!
It is hard to understand, how animals may loose or gain weight, when “there were
no significant differences between the body weights of the groups”. Please
comment.
4.5.: Please complete the missing words “The peak level of collagen was at the
[…] and of the third week and …”.
Discussion:
On p. 15, line 4-5 the authors state that recanalization of bile ducts may be a
reason for spontaneous regression of fibrosis in their animals. As this shouldn’t
occur at all in proper handling and in this animal model, this speculation should
be deleted from the discussion.
Please complete the missing references: p. 13, last paragraph; p. 14, last
paragraph.
Table 1:
Please replace the commas by dots.
Figures:
The assignment of figures to corresponding legends may be corrected. I think the
current Fig. 2 corresponds rather to the current Fig. 1b in the legends. To my
impression, this tissue resembles more to a micronodular, septic fibrosis, but less
to a secondary, biliary fibrosis/cirrhosis with strong bile duct proliferation. Thus, it
may be replaced by a more representative image. By the way, the green picture
is also very nice. Is it liver?
In the remaining figures, the use of bar diagramms may be better than the
current course diagrams. Importantly, p-values should be included in these
figures.
The manuscript may require some language editing.
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
assistant