Establishment of an albumin-deficient and jaundiced strain of rats.

An albumin deficient and jaundiced rat (AJR) strain was established from crosses between Albumin-Deficient rats (NAR) and jaundiced Gunn rats. AJRs have a double homozygous mutant trait (alb/alb, j/j), and systemic jaundice and various neurological signs are observed 5--7 days after birth, kernicterus occurs and they die within three weeks after birth. This strain of rats may serve as a model of human kernicterus and also be useful in elucidating the mechanism of bilirubin metabolism.