Proline, ascorbic acid, or thioredoxin affect jaundice and mortality in Long Evans cinnamon rats.

The Long Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rat spontaneously develops fulminant hepatitis, which is usually lethal due to excess copper accumulation in the liver and is considered an animal model of Wilson's disease. LEC rats show a strong appetite for proline solution. Daily oral (p.o.) administration of proline resulted in significant delay of mortality. Feeding a copper-deficient diet greatly delayed the onset of jaundice and mortality and voluntary consumption or p.o. administration of proline further delayed jaundice and prevented mortality. LEC rats also consume ascorbic acid solutions, and p.o. administration of ascorbate also results in a significant delay in the appearance of jaundice and mortality. Combined treatment with ascorbic acid and proline is additive to delay further jaundice and mortality. An endogenous antioxidant protein, thioredoxin, when infused by minipump IP, could also inhibit the incidence of jaundice. These results indicate that antioxidant treatment combined with proline may be of benefit in Wilson's disease and possibly other forms of hepatic dysfunction.