title: Pathological and laboratory findings in LEC/Otk rats that spontaneously develop hepatic injury.
abstract: The LEC strain of rats that spontaneously develops hepatic injury has been introduced into specific pathogen-free (SPF) conditions (SPF-LEC/Otk). The present communication describes the clinical and pathological features of the SPF-LEC/Otk rats. The characteristic features of these animals are as follows: (i) Jaundice develops in almost all rats with increase in the P-GPT level; (ii) The animals show episodes of jaundice, a high P-GPT level and liver cell necrosis, but only slight inflammatory cell infiltration; (iii) The liver cells show characteristic microvesicular fatty changes; (iv) The P-GPT level shows increases, first at 18 weeks and then at 25 weeks of age; (v) The rats show immunological disorders, such as deficiency of immunoglobulins, especially IgG1, and of helper T cells; (vi) Infectious agents such as viruses do not seem to be involved, although this possibility cannot be absolutely excluded; (vii) The immunological disorders are not directly associated with the occurrence of liver cell necrosis; and (viii) The pattern of inheritance (autosomal single-recessive trait) of the disease strongly suggests that it is due to a genetic metabolic disorder.
authors.affiliation: Tokushima Research Institute, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirashima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bando
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yonemoto
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Natori
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007565:Jaundice / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D000410:Alanine Transaminase