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Evidence of a Toxic Effect of Ethanol on Bone in Rats
Author(s) -
Peng TaiChan,
Gamer Sanford C.,
Frye Gerald D.,
Crenshaw Miles A.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1982.tb05386.x
Subject(s) - ethanol , pathogenesis , tibia , medicine , alcohol , bone formation , anatomy , chemistry , biochemistry
Tibiae from rats treated chronically for 12 days with enough ethanol to induce physical dependence were found to have an increased incidence of fracture during dissection and cleaning (7 of 12 or 58%) compared to control animals (1 of 12 or 8%). The site of the fractures, the proximal end of the tibia, showed an increased opacity to X‐rays, and the dried bones were distinctly darker in appearance than similarly prepared control bones. The effects noted in our study suggest that the rat model could be useful for the study of the mechanisms by which alcohol affects bone growth, remodeling, and strength. These studies might shed new light on the pathogenesis of increased bone fragility in alcoholics.