Influence of God Liver Oil on Deposition of Ceroid in the Nutritional Rat Cirrhosis

Summary

Regular and severe liver cirrhosis can be induced in male weaning rats on a choline-free, protein-deficient diet after 90 days, if the protein source is either fibrin or peanut meal plus casein. Early cirrhosis is occasionally observed in less than 60 days. Very large amounts of ceroid are deposited by the use of these diets, containing 2% cod liver oil. The amount of the deposited ceroid is markedly reduced if the intake of cod liver oil is restricted to one drop weekly. On the same diet without any cod liver oil, the produced cirrhosis is less severe. Some of these livers contain no ceroid, others small amounts of this pigment. Cod liver oil is therefore not the only cause for ceroid pigmentation in nutritional cirrhosis. It enhances, however, its formation very markedly.