DIETARY CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PREVENTING ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER IN THE RAT

Background/Aims: Dietary carbohydrate intake during ethanol ingestion augments the induction of hepatic cytochrome p350 2E1 (CYP2E1) by etha nol, This study addresses the role of carbohydrate intake in the devel opment of alcoholic fatty liver in the rat. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawl ey rats were pair-fed on liquid diets containing ethanol (3.5 g/day, 3 6% of total calories) with different amounts of carbohydrate and fat f or 4 weeks, and the development of fatty liver was observed biochemica lly and morphologically, Results: An ethanol-containing low-carbohydra te diet (protein 17%; fat 36%; carbohydrate 11%; ethanol 36%) had more markedly adverse effects on the liver of rats than did an isocaloric ethanol-containing high-carbohydrate diet (protein 17%; fat 5%; carboh ydrate 42%; ethanol 36%). The hepatic triglyceride level in the rats t hat consumed the low-carbohydrate diet was higher than that in the rat s kept on the high-carbohydrate diet, a finding that was confirmed his tologically. The ethanol-containing low-carbohydrate diet caused a mar ked increase in the activity of hepatic CYP2E1. The CYP2E1 protein lev el, as measured by Western blot analysis, matched the activity of CY2E 1, as measured by the rates of dimethylnitrosamine, p-nitrophenol and ethanol metabolism. The severity of the fatty liver was web correlated with the increased CYP2E1 activity. Conclusions: Dietary carbohydrate intake plays an important role in the development of alcoholic fatty liver by affecting CYP2E1 activity in the liver. A liquid diet contain ing ethanol in which the ethanol is included at the expense of fat is more acceptable to rats than a diet in which the ethanol replaces carb ohydrate.