Abstract
Morphological and biochemical studies were performed on skeletal muscle obtained from rats and baboons fed alcohol chronically along with an adequate diet. Muscle mitochondria from both species demonstrated marked alterations: enlargement and distortion of shape, loss of cristae, and vacuolization of the matrix. Following an overnight fast, when alcohol was no longer measurable in the blood, respiration in muscle slices obtained from the rats was depressed 25–40% ( P < 0.01–0.05) both in the presence and absence of added substrate. Isolated mitochondria from rats and baboons demonstrated depressions in oxygen consumption ranging from 45 to 60%. These changes were present with various substrates: glutamate (10 m m), glycerol-1-phosphate (10 m m), and malonate with alpha-ketoglutarate (5 m m + 5m m). Changes were similar in States 3 and 4 of respiration. ADP:O ratios and respiratory control ratios were not significantly different in alcohol-fed and control animals. Thus, chronic alcohol consumption results in morphological changes in muscle mitochondria associated with a marked depression in oxidative metabolism.
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