Spontaneous “primary biliary cirrhosis” in rabbits

ABSTRACT—A syndrome resembling human Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) and occurring spontaneously in a strain of domesticated rabbits from the Faenza region in Italy, is reported. The syndrome is characterized by histological liver changes consisting of chronic non‐suppurative destructive cholangitis and copper accumulation, biochemical and immunological abnormalities mainly represented by an elevation of serum alkaline phosphatase and a positive antimitochondrial antibody test. The abnormalities were not observed in newborn rabbits from the same area nor in control rabbits from the island of Sardinia. A toxic effect related to some environmental factor may be responsible for the disease. Alternatively, a continuous process of partial inbreeding among consanguineous animals may have resulted in a selection of a strain genetically predisposed to the development of PBC. Whatever the etiology, the domesticated Faenza rabbit proves to be an interesting animal model for a chronic non‐suppurative destructive cholangitis, very similar to the human disease known as PBC.