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Ethanol consumption by rats is inversely related to hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity
Author(s) -
KEEGAN ANDREW,
BATEY ROBERT
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.1994.tb01245.x
Subject(s) - alcohol dehydrogenase , ethanol , ethanol metabolism , alcohol , medicine , alcohol consumption , endocrinology , enzyme , enzyme assay , biochemistry , chemistry
Under normal circumstances the rate of hepatic ethanol oxidation and the rate at which ethanol is removed from the blood are dependent on the hepatic activity of alcohol dehydrogenase. It is possible that ethanol metabolism, and thus hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase, could influence ethanol consumption. In this study 11 adult female Wistar rats were provided with 20% ethanol as their sole drinking fluid and ethanol consumption was measured. After a further period of drinking tap water, the hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity was determined. A significant inverse relationship was found between the ethanol consumption by the rats and the hepatic activity of alcohol dehydrogenase ( P < 0.05). This enzyme could therefore play a role in determining the amount of alochol an animal will consume.