Chan Tai-po. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-101). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- HYPOTHESIS --- p.3 / Chapter 3 --- OBJECTIVE --- p.4 / Chapter 4 --- CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS --- p.5 / Chapter 5 --- METHODOLOGY --- p.6 / Chapter 5.1 --- Materials --- p.8 / Chapter 5.2 --- Study method --- p.13 / Chapter 5.3 --- Venues of the research --- p.22 / Chapter 5.4 --- Data acquisition --- p.23 / Chapter 5.5 --- Data management and analysis --- p.24 / Chapter 5.6 --- Ethical considerations --- p.25 / Chapter 5.7 --- Participations of persons in the research --- p.28 / Chapter 6 --- RESULTS --- p.34 / Chapter 6.1 --- Problems and fate of rats in the model development group --- p.34 / Chapter 6.2 --- Morbidity and mortality after LEM administration --- p.38 / Chapter 6.3 --- Results of radiological findings --- p.39 / Chapter 6.4 --- Results of liver function tests --- p.48 / Chapter 6.5 --- Results of liver morphology --- p.52 / Chapter 6.6 --- Histological results --- p.53 / Chapter 7 --- DISCUSSION --- p.69 / Chapter 7.1 --- Problems encountered in the development group --- p.69 / Chapter 7.2 --- The pilot study group --- p.71 / Chapter 7.3 --- The need for the present study --- p.74 / Chapter 7.4 --- LEM in cirrhotic rat compared with the normal liver rat --- p.75 / Chapter 7.5 --- Liver function markers in cirrhotic liver --- p.76 / Chapter 7.6 --- Discussion on the assumptions of the research --- p.80 / Chapter 7.7 --- Assessment on measurement error --- p.82 / Chapter 7.8 --- Errors in the pilot study --- p.83 / Chapter 8 --- CONCLUSIONS --- p.84 / Chapter 9 --- Future experiments that may be performed using this model --- p.85 / Chapter 10 --- APPENDICES --- p.86 / Chapter 10.1 --- Appendix 1: Copy on the letter of ethics approval from the Animal Research Ethics Committee of the Chinese University of Hong Kong --- p.86 / Chapter 10.2 --- Appendix 2: Copy on the licences issued by the Department of Health of Hong Kong --- p.88 / Chapter 11 --- REFERENCES --- p.94