title: Influence of fever on biliary elements of guinea pigs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the influence of fever on biliary elements and gallstone formation in guinea pigs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty guinea pigs were randomly divided and fed either a lithogenic diet (to induce gallstone formation) or a normal diet (for use as the non-gallstone controls), and each group was then subdivided into fever or non-fever subgroups. The fever condition was induced by subcutaneous injection of boiled non-fat milk (1 mL/kg, once a week for 4 wk). After 45 d, all the animals were euthanized for analysis; however, 36 h prior to euthanasia, the guinea pigs in the fever subgroups were injected subcutaneously with turpentine (1 mL/kg) to maintain the fever condition. Gallbladder lumens were examined and bile samples were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gallstone incidence was highest (40%, 6/15) in the group of animals that were fed the lithogenic diet and had fever. Compared to the non-fever subgroups, the fever subgroups had significantly higher total bile protein and bilirubin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fever influences biliary elements and may contribute to gallstone formation in guinea pigs.
authors.affiliation: Hou-Dong Lü, Department of Microbiology, Jining Medical College, Jining 272113, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.affiliation: Hou-Dong Lü, Department of Microbiology, Jining Medical College, Jining 272113, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Hou-Dong Lü, Department of Microbiology, Jining Medical College, Jining 272113, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: X P
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Hou-Dong Lü, Department of Microbiology, Jining Medical College, Jining 272113, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Bile/metabolism; Bilirubin/metabolism; Cholelithiasis/etiology; Fever; Proteins/metabolism