The Composition of Diet in Conjunction with Chronic Ethanol Consumption Alters Plasma Proteinase Inhibitor Levels in Rats

Abstract

To study the effects of dietary composition and chronic ethanol ingestion on plasma proteinase inhibitor (PI) levels in intact animals, 192 male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups, which received a standard diet (S), a fat-rich diet (F), a protein-rich diet (P), and a carbohydrate-rich diet (C), respectively, for 12 weeks. Half of the animals in each diet group had 15% ethanol as their drinking solution (A) during this diet period, and the rest drank tap water (W). FW and CW diets caused a significant decrease in the trypsin-inhibiting capacity (TIC) of plasma in comparison with the SW group (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively), and chronic ethanol ingestion in combination with P and C diets decreased plasma TIC levels significantly (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001) when compared with the corresponding water-drinking groups. The chymotrypsin-inhibiting capacity (CIC) of plasma behaved differently: in the FW, PW, and CW groups it was significantly higher than in the SW group (p < 0.001). Chronic ethanol ingestion did not change plasma CIC levels significantly when compared with the corresponding water-receiving groups. In conclusion, dietary intake was found to alter plasma PI levels. Changes in the protein synthesis of the liver might be responsible for these alterations.

Key Words:

• Diet
• liver
• long-term ethanol consumption
• pancreas
• pancreatitis
• proteinase inhibitors