H. Maier et al., EFFECT OF CHRONIC ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE ORAL-MUCOSA, Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 18(2), 1994, pp. 387-391
Chronic alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for oral and pharyn
geal cancer. Besides other mechanisms a toxic effect of ethanol and/or
its metabolite acetaldehyde on the oral mucosa and resulting increase
d cell regeneration seem to play an important role in tumor promotion.
In the present study the effect of chronic ethanol consumption on the
morphology of the oral mucosa of 40 male wistar rats that had been fe
d nutritionally adequate liquid diets containing 36% of total calories
either as ethanol or isocaloric carbohydrates for 6 months was invest
igated. Morphometric analysis showed that in the ethanol rats the size
of the basal cell nuclei of the oral mucosa from the floor of the mou
th, the edge of the tongue and the base of the tongue were significant
ly enlarged (p < 0.001). The size of the basal cell layer in these rat
s was increased, and the stratification of the cells was altered. The
percentage of cells in the S-phase of the cell cycle was significantly
higher in the ethanol-fed rats (p < 0.01). Mean epithelial thickness
of the mucosa from the floor of the mouth was significantly reduced in
the ethanol rats (p < 0.01). in conclusion the reported findings indi
cate, that chronic ethanol consumption causes oral mucosal atrophy ass
ociated with hyper-regeneration, which may result in an enhanced susce
ptibility of the mucosal. epithelium toward chemical carcinogens.