OBJECTIVETo establish a rabbit model of juvenile nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) for further study.

METHODSTwenty-eight New Zealand rabbit pups were fed with a high-fat diet (standard diet+10 % lard+2 % cholesterol) for 8 or 12 weeks as the two model groups, and 10 rabbits were fed with standard diet as the controls. Liver tissue samples were collected for Heamatoxylin-Eosin staining and pathological examination.

RESULTTypical histological hepatic lesions of NASH were observed in both model groups. Compared with control group, model groups showed a significant increase in serum ALT, AST, TG, TC levels (P <0.01), and decrease in serum adiponectin, IL-10 levels (P <0.05), meanwhile there was no significant difference between two model groups. TC and the degree of liver fatty infiltration were independent determinants of serum adiponectin level by stepwise multiple regression, beta=-1.33, P=0.006 and beta=-0.97, P=0.038, respectively, R square equal to 0.294.

CONCLUSIONThe juvenile steatohepatitis rabbit model has been established and the level of adiponectin can partly reflect the severity of liver steatosis.