The use of a semi-synthetic liquid diet for the supply of ethanol to rats and its effect on lysosomal enzyme activities in the liver

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Abstract
1. A liquid diet is described for the supply of ethanol to rats with a constant proportion of energy equivalents from different sources. In this diet, a protein-enriched, dry, milk powder is used as the protein source.2. The diet was used in a two-group experiment lasting for 80 d in which the rats were fedad lib.The consumption was 120 ml/d per rat in the control group, whereas in the ethanol-consuming group the consumpton was only 40 ml/d per rat at the start of the experiment and rose to and remained at 80 ml/d per rat after 20 d.3. The control group grew normally. In the ethanol-consuming group, there was an initial loss of body-weight; after 20 d there was some increase in body-weight but growth was slower than in the control group. The smaller food intake in the ethanol group was not wholly caused by the lower body-weight.4. The free and total activities of acid phosphatase (EC3·1·3·2) and β-glucuronidase (EC3·2·1·31) were estimated in the liver after 10, 20, 30, 40, 60 and 80 d. Neither the free nor the total activity of acid phosphatase changed significantly during the experiment. The ratio of free activity to total activity increased significantly after 20–40 d of treatment with ethanol. The free and total activities of β-glucuronidase were significantly increased after 10 d of treatment with ethanol, but this difference could not be shown after prolonged treatment.