Worm load and septal fibrosis of the liver in Capillaria hepatica-infectedrats

Inocula, varying from 15 to 1,000 embryonated Capillaria hepatica eggs, wer e administered to young adult rats by gastric tube, in an attempt to invest igate the influence of worm load in the production of septal fibrosis of th e liver Low doses of 15, 30 or 50 eggs were sufficient to produce septal fi brosis, but it appeared with variable degrees of intensity, and always with focal distribution. Septal fibrosis became diffuse, progressive with time, and already well developed 40 days after infection, when 100 eggs or more were administered. However higher inocula (200, 500 and 1,000 eggs) did not intensify septal fibrosis, although the number of parasitic focal lesions proportionally augmented.