THE EFFECT OF EXPERIMENTAL HEPATITIS ON THE PLASMA PROTEINS OF THE IMMATURE RAT

Abstract

Exptl. hepatitis produced by exposure of immature rats to CCl4 and restriction of diet reduces the level of protein of the plasma. The lowered level of plasma protein is almost entirely at the expense of the plasma albumin. There was a voluntary restriction of food intake by the treated animals but much greater restriction of the diet of untreated animals did not produce comparable lowering of the plasma proteins. In the treated animals, the level of protein in the plasma was roughly proportional to the dietary intake. The level of protein in the plasma probably reflects the functional capacity of the liver more than the dietary intake. Substitution of protein, rated as good or poor for the production of plasma proteins in other experiments, for part of the dietary protein did not alter the levels of plasma protein in the treated animals.