Relationship between plasma unbound-bilirubin concentration and cerebellar bilirubin content in homozygous Gunn rat sucklings.

Suckling increases and starvation (16 h) decreases plasma unbound-bilirubin concentration in 15-day-old homozygous Gunn rats. The effect of suckling-induced increase of plasma unbound-bilirubin concentration on cerebellar bilirubin content was examined. Cerebellar bilirubin content of the suckled rats did not increase, but rather decreased, in spite of the elevated concentration of plasma unbound-bilirubin . There were significant negative correlations between cerebellar bilirubin content and b. wt both in the suckled and starved groups.