Fascioliasis: role of proline in bile duct hyperplasia.

In animals fascioliasis, extensive hyperplasia of the main bile duct occurs that often results in enlargement of the duct to more than 20 times the normal. We report that proline infused into the abdominal cavity of rats caused hyperplasia of the bile duct resembling that produced in the early stages of the disease. We suggest that Fasciola hepatica, which synthesizes and releases large amounts of proline, induces enlargement of the bile duct by a similar mechanism.