en Internal Medicine Internal Medicine Original Research: Basic Science in Medicine Original Research: Basic Science in Medicine The influence of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) on collagen fibrillogenesis in vitro was investigated. GAG and collagen were isolated from the liver of rats treated with carbon tetrachloride at various time intervals (3-16 weeks). It was found that GAG obtained from the fibrotic liver accelerated collagen fibril formation. This effect was more evident in a solution of type I collagen than type III collagen. Studies on the liver samples showed that collagen was relatively slowly liberated in a solution of acid from the fibrotic liver as compared to normal tissue. The observed phenomena were related to the stage of fibrosis, i.e., to the duration of carbon tetrachloride treatment. Therefore, a role for GAG alteration in the development of hepatic fibrosis is suggested. Hepatic fibrosis, collagen, fibrillogenesis, glycosaminoglycan. 327 332 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-298-846&slc_lang=en&sid=1 E.J KUCHARZ 20031947532846006849 20031947532846006849 Yes From the Department of Internal Medicine, Silesian University School of Medicine, Tychy, Poland.