Effects of twelve months ethanol feeding on rat liver metabolic activity

Thirty male Wistar rats were fed with 15% ethanol (V/V) for one year. Thirt y other male animals were the control group. To determine the possible meta bolic disturbances caused by chronic ethanol feeding in blood we measured i n blood metabolic parameters, and in a liver perfusion assay the hepatic in sulin clearance and hepatic urea production in these animals. Between the e thanol-fed and the control animals there were significant differences in th e following parameters: blood insulin concentration (47 vs. 2 mu U/ml) and activities of amino acid transferases in liver homogenates at the end of th e perfusion experiments (ASAT, 5950 vs. 70; ALAT, 3632 vs. 93 U/1). The oth er parameters were still normal in the ethanol-fed animals. Thus in these e xperiments after 12 months of 15% (V/V) ethanol feeding the rats still show ed only a state of beginning metabolic disturbances in the liver. The resul ts are discussed under consideration of the formation of acetaldehyde prote in adducts in all rat organs investigated, namely, liver, kidney, heart and sceleton muscle, gut and spleen.