Sex Difference in Induction of Fatty Liver in the Rat by Dietary Orotic Acid

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Abstract
Male and female Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a purified diet containing 1% orotic acid for 1–6 weeks. All animals developed a periportal fatty liver. After 1 week in Wistar rats and 3 weeks in Sprague-Dawley rats, the females developed a significantly greater degree of fatty change than males. Orchidectomized male animals developed a significantly greater degree of fatty change than intact males or castrate males given repeated injections of testosterone propionate. Ovariectomized females developed a marked fatty liver similar to that found in intact females. Castrate females given repeated injections of testosterone propionate or estradiol benzoate developed a significantly lesser degree of fatty change than intact or castrate females. Such evidence suggests that the basis of the sex difference may be related to the levels of androgen in the male.