Age dependency of rolitetracycline-induced hepatic steatosis.

A comparative study on the effect of rolitetracycline (50 micrograms/g i.v.) on the hepatic content of triglycerides and the release of esterified fatty acids from the liver into the blood was performed in young and adult NMRI mice of both sexes. Rolitetracycline caused an accumulation of triglycerides only in the livers of adult animals, the effect being much more pronounced in females than in males. In agreement with this a very strong inhibition of lipid release from the liver and a significant decrease of the esterified fatty acids of the serum was produced only in adult females. The results suggest that the livers of young animals of both sexes are relatively resistant to the steatotic effect of rolitetracycline.