Ethanol consumption by Syrian golden hamsters. Food intake and blood ethanol levels.

Abstract
Food and liquid intakes and blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) were measured in Syrian golden hamsters receiving 0, 7.4, 18.5, 27.8 or 41.6% (wt/vol) ethanol in their drinking water for 28 days (6 hamsters/ethanol concentration). As intake of calories from ethanol increased, intake of food calories decreased, so that total caloric intake remained relatively stable across ethanol concentrations. Volume of liquid consumed was greatest among hamsters drinking 7.4 and 18.5% ethanol, but consumption of calories from ethanol was greatest at 41.6%. The BAC were very variable but tended to increase with rising ethanol concentration. Hamster liver had 3 times greater liver alcohol dehydrogenase activity than did rat liver, which might explain the hamsters'' greater capacity for alcohol consumption.