Ex vivo mechanical and microstructural evaluation of a changing hepatic microstructure

Recent advancements in non-invasive imaging of the liver hold significant potential for disease diagnosis and monitoring. However, the influence of different microstructural features on clinically derived mechanical biomarkers in the liver are not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of microstructural changes within liver tissue on mechanics. The impact of storage and preservation, as well as bulk microstructural changes via enzymatic treatments were evaluated by mechanical testing and histological processing on porcine liver. We found that the preservation method chosen for ex vivo liver tissue significantly influences the compressive material properties of the tissue, while not impacting those in tension. Additionally, we found that enzymatic treatments via collagenase alter the microstructure and mechanics, again more significantly in compression, of liver tissue. This work lays foundational insights for future studies which aim to develop ex vivo liver models to better understand the changing microstructure in the liver and its influence on mechanics, ultimately improving our understanding of clinically derived biomarkers.