Peculiarities of the liver histology of laboratory rodents

Although the general liver morphology is similar in all mammals, there are some structural features in apparently healthy laboratory rodents. These peculiarities are known to be influenced by a great variety of endogenous and exogenous factors. Incidence, intensity, development and disappearance of such elements as extramedullary haemopoiesis, polyploidy, intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusions depend markedly upon genetics, age, hygienic condition, hormonal regulation and nutrition of the animals. It is concluded from this short review that the term "normal histology" should only be understood as being relative and that it may only be applied to a given, well defined animal population held under well defined conditions.