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Hepatic Composition and Metabolism after Ethanol Consumption in Rats Fed Liquid Purified Diets^{1, 2,}

Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Virginia, Health Sciences Division of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23219, and Bureau of Alcohol Studies and Rehabilitation, Department of Health, Commonwealth of Virginia

In order to study hepatic compositional and functional changes after moderately prolonged ethanol ingestion, isonitrogenous, nutritionally adequate, purified liquid diets (high in lipotropic factors) were pair-fed to two groups of rats for a period of 28 days. The experimental diet contained ethanol (40% of calories) and the control diet was made isocaloric to it by addition of extra sucrose. Even though each group of animals consumed the same amount of calories, amino acid nitrogen and other nutrients, the ethanol animals were substantially smaller than the controls at the end of the experiment. Liver DNA concentration was increased but total liver DNA content was unaltered by alcohol. In comparison with the controls no clearly definable fatty liver was found in the alcohol group. Alcohol produced a reduction in protein synthesis and depressed mitochondrial acceptor control of respiration in the liver. In addition, kidney protein synthesis appeared to be reduced but skeletal muscle protein synthesis was not lowered at day 28 by alcohol ingestion.

² A preliminary report of parts of this investigation was presented at the American Institute of Nutrition meeting, Atlantic City, 1969: Banks, W. L., Jr., E. S. Kline, J. S. Bond and E. S. Higgins 1969 Metabolic alterations produced by chronic ethanol ingestion. Federation Proc. 28: 626 (abstract).

Manuscript received 18 July 1969.