The effect on the rat liver of long-term administration of different alcoholic beverages together with inadequate diets.

Abstract

Rats were given 36 per cent of calories as ethanol, gin, brandy, whisky or red wine together with hypocaloric (25 per cent of normal), hypocaloric--low-protein--highfat, or hypocaloric--low vitamin diets for several months and compared with rats given isocaloric amounts of glucose instead of alcohol. In spite of high mortality rate no severe liver lesions occurred, especially no cirrhosis. Congeners present in different alcoholic beverages therefore seem to lack important hepatotoxic effects at least in the rat.