TLDR PCS rats show significant inner ear damage and zinc deficiency, similar to liver cirrhosis patients.
In a study examining the effects of portocaval shunting (PCS) on inner ear structures in rats, 15 rats underwent PCS while control rats underwent similar procedures without the shunt. PCS rats exhibited increased urinary zinc excretion, weight loss, alopecia, lethargy, and testicular atrophy, along with significantly reduced serum zinc levels. Ultrastructural analysis of the inner ear revealed increased lysosomes, severe myelin sheath damage in granular ganglion cells, and vacuolization in the stria vascularis and Reissner's membrane. These findings suggested that PCS rats could serve as a model for studying zinc deficiency similar to that seen in patients with liver cirrhosis.
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