HSD17B13-IN-22

Fibrosis and collagen morphometry is based on the quantitative visualization of fibrillar collagen deposition in tissue sections using histochemical stains such as Sirius Red (Picrosirius Red) or Masson's trichrome, followed by image-based or polarization-enhanced analysis to estimate collagen proportional area as a surrogate of extracellular matrix accumulation during fibrotic remodeling. Sirius Red combined with polarized light microscopy enhances detection of collagen fibers due to birefringence properties, enabling more specific visualization of collagen type I and III fibrils compared to conventional bright-field histology, while whole-section or region-restricted digital morphometry reduces field-selection bias in fibrosis assessment. Alternative quantitative approaches include second harmonic generation (SHG) and two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy, which enable label-free detection of fibrillar collagen and have been validated against histological staining and biochemica

Sirius Red or picrosirius red staining is a histochemical method for visualizing collagen-rich extracellular matrix in tissue sections, and collagen fibers are detected as red-stained structures under bright-field microscopy with enhanced birefringence under polarized light. Picrosirius red is useful for assessing total collagen organization, distribution, and fibrosis burden, but polarized color should not be interpreted as a definitive collagen type I versus type III readout because color is affected by fiber orientation, thickness, and packing.

Masson’s Trichrome (collagen/trichrome staining) is a histological technique that differentially stains tissue compartments using sequential acidic dyes to distinguish collagen from muscle and cytoplasmic components based on dye affinity and tissue permeability differences, enabling visualization of fibrosis and connective tissue architecture in histological sections. The classical formulation typically uses Weigert's iron hematoxylin for nuclear staining, Biebrich scarlet-acid fuchsin for cytoplasm and muscle, and aniline blue (or light green variants) for collagen, producing a characteristic blue/green collagen signal contrasted against red cytoplasm and dark nuclei. The staining principle relies on selective displacement of smaller dye molecules by larger anionic dyes in collagen-rich regions under controlled acidified conditions, which enhances collagen-specific dye retention. This property makes the method widely used for fibrosis assessment in organs such as heart, liver, lung, a

Liver cancer can be classified into primary liver cancer and secondary liver cancer. Secondary liver cancer is the metastatic liver cancer. Primary liver cancer includes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and fibrolamellar HCC, of which HCC is the most common form, accounting for approximately 90% of primary liver cancers^[1]. HCC mouse models include chemical agent-induced models, transplanted tumor models, and genetic engineered models.

Liver histomorphometry is a quantitative histological approach used to measure structural alterations in hepatic tissue, including parenchymal loss, steatosis, fibrosis, and vascular remodeling, by combining stained tissue section analysis with stereological or computerized image-based measurements. Classical morphometric frameworks quantify volume fractions of liver compartments and fibrotic regions using systematic sampling and image analysis, enabling objective comparison of pathological changes across experimental groups. These approaches are widely applied in liver cirrhosis and fibrosis studies to reduce subjectivity in histological scoring and improve reproducibility of tissue evaluation. Recent methodological advances integrate automated image analysis and radiomics-based extraction of histological features from standard liver stains (e. g. , H&E and fibrotic stains), enabling quantitative correlation between morphometric features and fibrosis stages in non-alcoholic fatty live