Effects of Anticoagulants on Experimental Models of Established Chronic Liver Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective The role of anticoagulants in chronic liver diseases is inconclusive. A meta-analysis was thus undertaken to evaluate treatment-related survival and antifibrotic effects in animal models of chronic liver diseases. Methods A systematic search of the literature took place (up to November 2020), screening for preclinical studies that evaluated anticoagulant effects in animal models of chronic liver diseases. We assessed the quality of methods and the certainty of evidence. Data on outcomes were extracted and pooled into random-effects models. Results Sixteen studies proved eligible, each assessing anticoagulant use in animals with chronic liver diseases. Generally, the pooled evidence demonstrated that the administration of anticoagulants is preventive against fibrogenesis, as indicated by METAVIR fibrosis scores (risk ratio = 0.66, 95% confidence interval: 0.47 to 0.94), portal pressure determinations (mean difference = −1.39, 95% confidence interval: −2.33 to −0.44), inflammatory activity (mean difference = −169.69, 95% confidence interval: −257.64 to −81.74), and indices of hepatic injury, specifically alanine aminotransferase (mean difference = −82.7, 95% confidence interval: −107.36 to −58.04), aspartate aminotransferase (mean difference = −186.12, 95% confidence interval: −254.90 to −117.33), albumin (mean difference = 0.59, 95% confidence interval: 0.16 to 1.01), and total bilirubin (mean difference = −0.96, 95% confidence interval: −1.46 to −0.46), and it had no impact on animal survival (risk ratio = 1.03, 95% confidence interval: 0.94 to 1.13). Conclusions Our assessments indicate that in animal models of chronic liver diseases, anticoagulants may alleviate the degree of fibrosis evaluated by the METAVIR score system, portal pressure, inflammatory activity, and serum indices of hepatocellular injury, without impacting survival. High-quality experimental studies are still required.