Effect of chronic ethanol dosing on hepatic triglyceride and phospholipid profile and fatty acids in the guinea pig

An alcohol feeding study was conducted with guinea pigs to evaluate the inf luence of alcohol upon hepatic triglyceride and total phospholipid profile as well as phospholipid fatty acids. Twenty-seven guinea pigs were randomly assigned into four groups consisting of a control and alcohol-treated grou p and each group carried over a 105- or 135-day period. Alcohol was adminis tered via the drinking water starting with a 2.5% solution (v/v) and gradua lly increased to 12.5% (v/v) over a 30-day period and thereafter maintained continously for either 75 or 105 days, respectively. Control guinea pigs r eceived glucose via the drinking water to match isocalorically the alcohol given to the test animals. At the end of the 105- and 135-day periods, anim als were sacrificed and livers collected. Hepatic triglycerides were signif icantly elevated by alcohol dosing, whereas total phospholipid fraction rem ained essentially unaltered. No significant time effect was observed on hep atic triglyceride and phospholipid profiles. In ethanol-fed guinea pigs, si gnificant increases in percentages of 18:1 n-9 and 18:2 n-6 and decreases i n 16:0, 20:3 n-6 and 20:4 n-6 were observed in hepatic total phospholipid f atty acid profile compared to controls. In addition, other polyenoic acids including 22:4 n-6, 22:5 n-6, 22:5 n-3, and 22:6 n-3 were found to be highl y significantly depressed in alcohol-treated animals in comparison to the c ontrols. This study provides important baseline lipid data on guinea pig re sponses to ethanol and provides a starting point for the use of the guinea pig as an experimental model. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights res erved.