Evidence for potentiation of lipid peroxidation in the rat liver after chronic ethanol feeding

Abstract

Hepatic steatosis was induced in rats by feeding nutritionally adequate liquid diet containing ethanol as 36% of energy for 4–5 weeks. After 24 h fasting and withdrawal from ethanol, liver ischaemia for 30 min followed by 2 h reperfusion resulted in a significant increase in microsomal lipid peroxide content and a decrease in reduced glutathione content as well as in protein synthesis with a rapid accumulation of triglyceride in the liver. In rats fed a non-ethanol diet or those fed a high-cholesterol diet with hepatic steatosis, however, similar phenomena were not found. These findings suggest that chronic ethanol feeding potentiates hepatic lipid peroxidation.

Key Words:

• alcoholic
• glutathione
• lipid peroxidation
• liver injury
• malondialdehyde