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Updated: May 14, 2026

Creation of Reversible Cholestatic Rat Model
Published on: May 21, 2011
Influence of cholestatic jaundice on the weight variance in an experimental model
Leonardo de Souza Vasconcellos1, Luiz Ronaldo Alberti, Juliana Ribeiro Romeiro
1Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, and Alfa Institute of Gastroenterology, UFMG Clinics Hospital, Minas Gerais – MG, Brazil
Objective:
To evaluate the influence of cholestatic jaundice in weight variation.
Methods:
We used 64 adult rats divided into six groups: F1 (n = 6): normal females; F2 (n = 6): laparotomy females; F3 (n = 20): jaundiced females; M1 (n = 6): normal males; M2 (n = 6): laparotomy males; M3 (n = 20): jaundiced males. Jaundice was obtained by ligation and section of the biliopancreatic duct. The animal weights were recorded weekly for seven weeks. On the 14th day of the experiment, bilirubin and gonadal hormones were assessed. After the seventh week a histological study of the liver was performed.
Results:
The animals in groups F3 and M3 showed elevated bilirubin and decreased body mass when compared to the other groups. The weight differences were significant from the fourth week on amongst females and from the fifth in males. In Jaundiced animals there was increased estradiol and decreased progesterone and testosterone. Perivenular septa and periportal fibrosis, cholangitis and bile duct hyperplasia occurred in the liver of jaundiced rats. No animal showed cirrhosis.
Conclusion:
There was decrease in murine body weight in the presence of cholestatic jaundice in both genders.
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