Betaine Supplementation Accelerates Elimination of Acetaldehyde from Blood in Rats Challenged with Ethanol Acutely

Abstract

Earlier studies in our laboratory showed that betaine administration may modify the metabolic reactions for sulfur‐containing amino substances in the liver. In this study we determined the changes in elimination of ethanol from blood induced by betaine supplementation. Male adult rats were provided with betaine (1 %) in drinking water for 2 weeks prior to a challenge with an acute dose of ethanol (3 g/kg, ip). Blood ethanol and acetaldehyde levels were monitored for 330 min after ethanol treatment. Ethanol concentrations in blood reached a peak in 30 min and declined rapidly thereafter in both groups. Ethanol concentrations and its elimination rate in blood were unaffected by betaine intake. Blood concentrations of acetaldehyde, a toxic metabolite of ethanol, were elevated gradually, reaching a plateau in around 150 min. However, blood acetaldehyde concentrations appeared to be significantly lower in the rats supplemented with betaine. The area under the curve (AUC) calculated for acetaldehyde was markedly lower in the rats supplemented with betaine (1.25 ± 0.08 mg·min/ml) than in the control rats (2.07 ± 0.18 mg min/ml). Methionine, glutathione, and S‐adenosylmethionine contents in the liver were significantly decreased by ethanol treatment, which were all prevented in the rats supplemented with betaine. Lipid peroxidation in liver tissue was also inhibited by betaine intake. It is suggested that the reduction of acetaldehyde concentrations in blood by betaine intake may be associated with the enhanced production of sulfur‐containing substances in the liver.Support or Funding InformationSupported by National Research Foundation (NRF) grants (No. 2014‐R1A2A1A11052967 and No. 2009‐0083533) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST), Korea.