Effect of Alcohol on Growth, Bone Density and Muscle Magnesium in the Rat

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Abstract
A group of rats fed a nutritionally adequate diet were compared with their pair-fed littermate controls that had the same diet but with ethanol isocalorically replacing sucrose. The ethanol-fed rats developed fatty liver, as described elsewhere, and although the growth constant was unchanged, it was calculated that the maximal weight they could attain if time were extended indefinitely was less than that of the controls. The density of the tibiae and femora was found to be a linear function of the animal's weight and the decrease in density of these bones in the ethanol-fed animals could be explained by the difference in weight between the 2 groups of animals. Muscle magnesium was not significantly different in the ethanol-fed and control animals.