Hepatic Composition and Metabolism after Ethanol Consumption in Rats Fed Liquid Purified Diets

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Abstract
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.