MODERATE ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION DOES NOT AUGMENT BONE-DENSITY IN OVARIECTOMIZED RATS

Moderate levels of alcohol consumption have been reported to have a be neficial effect on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. The o bjective of this study was to examine the effect of a moderate level o f alcohol consumption on bone density in a rigorously controlled anima l model of osteoporosis. Ovariectomized and nonovariectomized rats wer e placed on standard lab pellets with free access to deionized water a d libitum. Alcohol-treated animals were given 0.38 g/kg of alcohol dai ly by intubation in the mid-afternoon and free access to standard lab pellets for 6 weeks. The amount of the alcohol solution was calculated daily to give the human equivalent of 2 glasses of wine/day. Pair-fed control animals were given, on the following day, an equal volume of the diet consumed by individual ethanol-fed rats. They received daily intubation solutions, with the ethanol replaced by isocaloric and isov olumetric amounts of maltose-dextrin. Chow-fed control animals receive d no intubations and were given access to standard lab pellets ad libi tum. Ovariectomized animals had increased weight and decreased femur d ensity and bone volume per total volume. They also had decreased total trabecular area, trabecular area, and number, as well as increased tr abecular separation. Significant differences were found between the ov ariectomized and nonovariectomized animals in the parameters under dis cussion, but there were no differences between diet groups. No benefic ial effects were found after daily alcohol treatments.