目的　探讨肝包膜厚度在实验性肝纤维化中的变化及意义。方法　用二甲基亚硝基胺 (DMN)诱导SD大鼠肝纤维化模型 ,常规肝组织切片 ,苦味酸天狼红染色 ,光镜 40 0倍下测肝包膜厚度 ,同时测肝羟脯氨酸含量 ,对肝脏纤维化程度和肝脏炎症活动度进行分级。结果　肝包膜随肝纤维化程度增加而增厚 ,与肝组织羟脯氨酸含量、半定量纤维化记分、慢性肝炎纤维化和活动度具有良好的相关性 ,r分别为 0 88、0 85、0 82和 0 64 ,P <0 0 1。结论　肝包膜厚度可作为评价肝纤维化程度的一项良好指标 Objective To investigate the changes and significance of hepatic capsule thickness in experimental liver fibrosis. Methods The hepatic fibrosis model of SD rats was induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN). The hepatic fibrosis was induced by routine liver biopsy and picric acid Sirius red staining. The thickness of hepatic capsule was measured 40 times by light microscope. The levels of liver fibrosis and liver inflammation were graded. Results The hepatic capsule was thickened with the increase of liver fibrosis and had a good correlation with hydroxyproline content, semi-quantitative fibrosis score, chronic hepatitis fibrosis and activity in the liver tissue, r = 0 88,0 85 , 0 82 and 0 64, P <0 0 1. Conclusions Hepatic capsule thickness can be used as a good indicator to evaluate the degree of liver fibrosis