ETHANOL-INDUCED GASTROINTESTINAL DAMAGE - INFLUENCE OF ENDOGENOUS ANTIOXIDANT COMPONENTS AND GENDER

This study compared the effects of undiluted and 8% ethanol administer ed orally on gastrointestinal antioxidant components of male and femal e rats. Eight percent ethanol increased the activities of duodenal glu tathione peroxidase (29% in males, 14% in females) and superoxide dism utase in female gastric (24%) and male duodenal (15%) mucosa. This dos e of ethanol also increased the glutathione content of gastric mucosa (12% in males, 13% in females). Undiluted ethanol decreased glutathion e levels in gastric mucosa (22% in males, 11% in females) and increase d glutathione peroxidase activity in gastric mucosa (14% in males, 9% in females), Undiluted alcohol also produced decreases in the activity of glutathione reductase in stomach (14% in males, 9% in females) and duodenum (16% in males, 12% in females). Undiluted ethanol caused muc osal damage in the body of the stomach in both genders, accompanied by an increase in luminal pH and fluid accumulation in the stomach; thes e changes were absent in rats given 8% ethanol. The increase in gastro intestinal antioxidant capacity associated with the administration of 8% ethanol may be a factor in the reported cytoprotective effect of lo wer doses of ethanol.