Fatty Liver in the Rat After Intravenous Infusion of Orotic Acid

Continuous intravenous infusion of 44-65 mg orotic acid per 24 hours in 120-180 g rats caused fatty liver, liver nucleotide changes and disappearance of plasma β-lipoprotein, effects which were indistinguishable from those caused by feeding a 1% orotic acid diet. Thus a method for continuous, controlled administration of orotic acid, independent of the diet, is now available for the study of fatty liver induction. The results suggest that the intestine and its contents do not play a necessary role in causing orotic acid induced fatty liver.