EFFECT OF LONG-TERM ALCOHOL ADMINISTRATION ON BONE METABOLISM IN RATS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different degrees of alcohol ingestion on bone strength and mineral density. Thr ee different groups of growing female rats were administered different doses of an alcohol-water solution for a period of 6 months. These th ree groups were divided into: 1) the control group, which was only giv en water; 2) the moderate group, which was given 5% ethanol solution f or only 2h per day; and 3) the excess group, which was given only 5% e thanol solution for 163 days. This ethanol consumption induced no detr imental effect on biochemical parameters including liver function. The moderate group showed significantly higher (p<0.05) levels of proxima l metaphysis as compared to the control group, while there was no diff erence between the excess group and the control group. Similarly, in c omparison to the control group, the moderate group exhibited a signifi cant increase (p<0.001) in bone mechanical strength, while the excess group showed either the same or decreased bone stiffness. These result s indicate that alcohol intake has both beneficial and hindering effec ts on the skeleton, depending on the concentration and frequency of et hanol intake.