Effects of chronic ethanol consumption on aortic constriction in male and female rats

This study was designed to determine if gender influences the effects of ch ronic ethanol intake on vasoconstrictive responsiveness. Ethanol-preferring rats were allowed ad libitum access to tap water of tap water containing 2 0% or 30% ethanol for 16 weeks. All of the ethanol groups consumed more dai ly calories than their respective controls, and female rats consumed more e thanol calories per unit body mass than their male counterparts. Following treatment, endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded thoracic aortic rings were used to examine the contractile response to phenylephrine. Ethanol co nsumption did not alter vasoconstriction in endothelium-intact aortae from either gender. In contrast, males, but not females, demonstrated an ethanol -associated increase in the maximum response to phenylephrine in endotheliu m-denuded preparations. Aortae from male rats that consumed 20% and 30% eth anol showed an increased contractility of 37% and 85%, respectively. These data indicate that gender influences the vasoconstrictive effects elicited by chronic ethanol consumption and suggest that males may be more susceptib le to the associated hypertension. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All right s reserved.