Hepatic Nodules Resembling Tumors in Rats after Administration and Withdrawal of Ethionine

Abstract

The addition of 0.5% ethionine to the diet for 63 days caused production of hepatic nodules resembling tumors in 16 out of 23 male albino rats. When ethionine was fed for 28 days and then removed for the remainder of the 63-day period, hepatic nodules were also produced in about the same proportion of cases (5 out of 8). No such nodules were noted in animals sacrificed after 28 days of ethionine administration.