Albumin metabolism in chronic fasciola hepatica infections of cattle.

The metabolism of I131-albumin was examined in chronically fluke- infected animals in which anaemia and hypoalbuminaemia were prominent features. Animals with high fluke-burdens exhibited increased turnover rates of albumin, presumably due to a loss of blood into the bile ducts. Despite pronounced hepatic fibrosis the animals had a normal or only slightly decreased synthetic rate of albumin. This was in keeping with results from liver-function tests and is presumably explained by enlargement of the liver, resulting in maintenance of a near-normal parenchymal cell mass.