Attempts to Reproduce Cirrhosis of the Liver in Rats After Total-Body X Irradiation

Rats fed a low-protein (6% casein) diet in these experiments had fatty infiltration and varying degrees of fibrous proliferation of the liver regardless of whole-body X irradiation. Severity of the fibrotic lesions was reduced by choline supplementation. The degree of severity of fibrous proliferation also seemed to be dependent on the age of the rats when placed on the low-protein diet. Fibrosis was seen generally in the animals with the most severe degree of fat infiltration.