DIETARY MODULATION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN ALCOHOLIC LIVER-DISEASE IN RATS

Numerous studies dealing with prolonged feeding of rats with ethanol l iquid regimens high in fat and low in carbohydrate showed that the res ulting hepatic pathologic changes, including increased lipid peroxidat ion, are due to dietary aberrations rather than to ethanol toxicity. T he amount and particularly the type of dietary fat significantly modul ate the hepatic oxidative stress and morphofunctional reactivities. Al though dietary vitamin E modulated oxidative stress or lipid peroxidat ion, it did not influence the development of hepatic pathologic change s in different animal models of chronic alcoholism. The old observatio n that lipotropes modulate the hepatic alterations associated with pro longed excessive ingestion of ethanol has been amply confirmed by even those who for years did not accept the importance of lipotropes. Our recent studies in rats indicated that prolonged feeding of large amoun ts of ethanol and diets with variable amounts of lipotropes, vitamin E and minerals did not significantly modulate a large series of hepatic prooxidants, but decreased several antioxidants (vitamin E, ubiquinol s and glutathione peroxidase). Ethanol regimens relatively low in vita min E increased the hepatic thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances an d chemiluminescence and reduced some of the antioxidant factors. Howev er, the hepatic prooxidant factors were unaffected, and no liver damag e was detected. These and other findings indicated that the eventual d etection of oxidative stress in experimental alcoholic liver disease p rimarily depends on the type of diet and that oxidative stress may not play a significant pathogenic role in this condition.