Beneficial Effect Of Ethanol Research Articles

Long-term low-dose ethanol intake improves healthspan and resists high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice.

Numerous epidemiological studies have reported that moderate alcohol drinking has beneficial effects. However, few studies have focused on the beneficial effects of ethanol, the common component in alcoholic beverages. Here we fed the C57BL/6 mice with 3.5% v/v ethanol as drinking water substitute to investigate the effects of long-term low-dose ethanol intake in vivo. We evaluated the metabolic rate and mitochondrial function of the long-term low-dose ethanol-intake (LLE) mice, assessed the exercise ability of LLE mice, and fed the LLE mice with a high-fat diet to investigate the potential impact of ethanol on it. The LLE mice showed improved thermogenic activity, physical performance, and mitochondrial function, as well as resistance against the high-fat diet-induced obesity with elevated insulin sensitivity and subdued inflammation. Our results suggest that long-term low-dose ethanol intake can improve healthspan and resist high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice. It may provide new insight into understanding the protective effects of moderate alcohol drinking.

Alkali-catalyzed liquefaction of pinewood sawdust in ethanol/water co-solvents

In this study, pinewood sawdust was liquefied in either ethanol/water co-solvents (50/50, wt./wt.) or pure water at 300 °C for 30 min and 10 wt% of feedstock loading, with or without the use of Na2CO3 or NaOH as a catalyst. The physical and chemical properties of liquefaction products (bio-crude oil and solid residue) were comprehensively characterized by FT-IR, GC-MS, elemental, GPC and TGA analyses. The results showed that the highest biomass conversion of approx. 98% was obtained in ethanol/water mixed solvents and without catalyst, along with a maximum yield of bio-crude oil (~48 wt%). The HHV of crude oil was within the range of 26–30 MJ/kg. The results indicated that the beneficial effect of ethanol on the bio-crude oil yield might be compromised by adding Na2CO3 or NaOH into the liquefaction system under investigated reaction conditions. As suggested by GPC analysis, the bio-crude oil obtained in ethanol/water co-solvents from both non-catalytic and catalytic liquefaction contained a slightly higher molecular weight than that obtained in pure water. Additionally, TGA results indicated that the boiling point distribution of bio-crude oil was only affected by ethanol addition, whereas, the effect of the catalyst was found to be minor.

Reduction of brain edema and expression of aquaporins with acute ethanol treatment after traumatic brain injury

Previous studies have demonstrated that traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes brain edema by allowing excessive water passage through aquaporin (AQP) proteins. To establish the potential neuroprotective properties of ethanol as a post-TBI therapy, in the present study the authors determined the effect of ethanol on brain edema, AQP expression, and functional outcomes in a post-TBI setting. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 425 and 475 g received a closed head TBI in which Maramarou's impact-acceleration method was used. Animals were given a subsequent intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 g/kg or 1.5 g/kg ethanol at 60 minutes post-TBI and were killed 24 hours after TBI. Brains were subsequently examined for edema along with AQP mRNA and protein expression. Additional animals treated with either 0.5 g/kg or 1.5 g/kg ethanol at 60 minutes post-TBI were designated for cognitive and motor testing for 3 weeks. Ethanol administration post-TBI led to significantly (p < 0.05) lower levels of brain edema as measured by brain water content. This downregulation in brain edema was associated with significantly (p < 0.05) reduced levels of AQP mRNA and protein expression as compared with TBI without treatment. These findings concur with cognitive studies in which ethanol-treated animals exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) faster radial maze completion times. Motor behavioral testing additionally demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) beneficial effects of ethanol, with treated animals displaying improved motor coordination when compared with untreated animals. The present findings suggest that acute ethanol administration after a TBI decreases AQP expression, which may lead to reduced cerebral edema. Ethanol-treated animals additionally showed improved cognitive and motor outcomes compared with untreated animals.

Transfer of Phosphatidylethanol Between Lipoproteins

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an abnormal phospholipid formed only in the presence of ethanol. It has been recently shown that lipoprotein-associated PEth may mediate the effects of ethanol on endothelial cells, and this may explain, at least in part, the beneficial effect of ethanol on atherosclerosis. This study was performed to investigate the transfer of PEth between lipoproteins and the effects of PEth on cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity in plasma. Lipoproteins were isolated from the plasma of healthy male volunteers (n = 16) and male alcoholics (n = 13). The transfer of cholesteryl esters and PEth was determined between labeled low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and unlabeled high-density lipoprotein particles in vitro. The electrophoretic mobility of PEth-modified LDL particles was determined by agarose gel electrophoresis. PEth was transferred from PEth-modified LDL to high-density lipoprotein at an initial rate of 25.9 nmol/ml/hr. Monoclonal antibody (TP2) against the putative lipid-binding domain of CETP inhibited the transfer rate of PEth by approximately 64%, whereas the cholesteryl ester transfer was inhibited by 86%. This indicates that most of PEth was transferred by transfer proteins other than CETP. The transfer of PEth between lipoproteins enables the redistribution of PEth from lipoprotein fractions with a slow turnover to those with a rapid clearance. Moreover, the PEth-induced change in the electrical charge of lipoproteins may affect the binding of lipoproteins to their receptors and binding proteins. This in turn may alter the metabolism of lipoproteins and lipid-mediated signaling pathways in the cells delineating the vascular wall.

Malonic acid-assisted synthesis of LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 cathode active material for lithium-ion batteries

Polycrystalline LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 was synthesized by a solution route with malonic acid as the complexing agent. The effects of temperature, duration of heat treatment, pH of the precursor solution, and the nature of the solvent employed on the performance characteristics of the product were studied. It was observed that a 12-hour 800 °C heat treatment protocol was necessary to obtain products with optimal electrochemical characteristics. Furthermore, an excess lithium stoichiometry of 1.05 was found to be detrimental to the performance of the cathode material. The beneficial effect of ethanol as a solvent over water on the product characteristics is explained by the presence of solvent molecules in the coordination sphere of the cations. A pH of 7, at which malonic acid is complexed completely with the cations without interference from other nucleophiles, was found to be ideal for the synthesis of the cathode active material from aqueous solutions. With ethanol as the medium, the product formed by a 12-h calcination at 800 °C yielded a first-cycle capacity of 173 mAh/g and a tenth-cycle capacity of 169 mAh/g.

Coronary heart disease risk reduction in a predominantly beer-drinking population.

Moderate alcohol consumption protects against coronary heart disease, but there is ongoing debate about whether the effects and the underlying mechanisms differ by type of alcoholic beverage. In our case-control study from Germany, we assessed and compared the effect of alcohol consumption from various sources on risk of coronary heart disease and its underlying mechanisms. The sample included 312 patients with clinically stable, angiographically confirmed coronary heart disease and 479 healthy controls. After control for potential confounding factors, the odds ratio for coronary heart disease was 0.55 (95% confidence interval = 0.37--0.83) for drinkers compared with nondrinkers. Risk reduction was particularly strong among the majority of study participants who reported drinking predominantly or exclusively beer. Alcohol consumption from various sources was consistently associated with a more favorable profile of lipids and hemostatic factors. Nevertheless, a strong inverse association persisted between beer drinking and coronary heart disease even after control for these "intermediate variables." Our results support suggestions that the protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption against coronary heart disease is mediated in part by beneficial effects of ethanol on lipids and hemostatic factors. Additional mechanisms may account for the strong protective effect of moderate beer consumption.

Conséquences des préférences maternelles pour des alcools primaires ou secondaires sur les traits adaptatifs de deux populations géographiques de Drosophila melanogaster

Preferences for four primary and two secondary alcohols are studied in two geographical races of Drosophila melanogaster. an African population, very sensitive to the alcohol, and a resistant French population. Experimental insects are offspring of mothers submitted to situations of choice between non alcoholic media and others containing doses of studied alcohols. Eggs laid under these conditions are reared on media chosen or avoided by the mother. The adaptation of offspring to tested media is estimated using the following parameters: the number of emergences, the developmental time, the weight and the length of wings. The study reveals a better adaptation of French animals than African ones to alcoholized resources. This marked tolerance of the French population is particularly observed in the case of media with 0.5 % ethanol added. However this beneficial effect of ethanol is not observed with other alcohols. The adaptation of insects to an alcoholized medium is a complex phenomenon that influences the maternal preference. Thus, females who prefer non alcoholic or slightly alcoholized media have, in general, made a choice which conforms to the requirements of larvae. Those that laid on media containing strong doses of a highly poisonous alcohol (such as 2-propanol) seem, even if it is opposite to the requirements of the progeny, to have a tendency to exploit a new medium at the price of a limited development of the offspring.

Moderating Effect of Low Doses of Ethanol on Reoxygenation Injury in the Anoxic Myocardium

We have investigated the action of ethanol on the reoxygenation injury in isolated rat hearts. Perfusion of the anoxic Krebs-Henseleit medium for 40 minutes followed by 30 minutes of perfusion with aerobic medium produced considerable myocardial cell injury. Incorporation of ethanol (21.7 mMol), in both anoxic and aerobic perfusion media resulted in a marked reduction of cell injury and inhibition of creatine kinase. Contraction band necrosis was reduced to 0.25 as compared to 1.14 per field in the nontreated hearts. The tissue Ca++ was decreased to 8.2 as compared to 12.12 mumol/g/dry weight in the non-treated hearts and tissue ATP was increased by 50% in the treated tissue (9.33 mumol/g/dry wt) as compared to the non-treated anoxic tissue (5.5 mumol). Thus, ethanol appears to lessen myofibrilar contraction bands and preserve plasma membrane integrity during anoxia and reoxygenation. This suggests a scavenging role of free radicals which include hydroxy radicals or closely related species, in the pathogenesis of anoxic cell injury and beneficial effect of ethanol in low doses on the post anoxic reoxygenation injury.

Moderating Effect of Low Doses of Ethanol on Reoxygenation Injury in the Anoxic Myocardium

We have investigated the action of ethanol on the reoxygenation injury in isolated rat hearts. Perfusion of the anoxic Krebs-Henseleit medium for 40 minutes followed by 30 minutes of perfusion with aerobic medium produced considerable myocardial cell injury. Incorporation of ethanol (21.7 mMol), in both anoxic and aerobic perfusion media resulted in a marked reduction of cell injury and inhibition of creative kinase. Contraction band necrosis was reduced to 0.25 as compared to 1.14 per field in the non-treated hearts. The tissue Ca ++ was decreased to 8.2 as compared to 12.12 µmoll/g/dry weight in the non-treated hearts and tissue ATP was increased by 50% in the treated tissue (9.33 µmoll/g/dry wt) as compared to the non-treated anoxic tissue (S.S µmol). Thus, ethanol appears to lessen myofibrilar contraction bands and preserve plasma membrane integrity during anoxia and reoxygenation. This suggests a scavenging role of free radicals which include hydroxy radicals or closely related species, in the pathogenesis of anoxic cell injury and beneficial effect of ethanol in low doses on the post anoxic reoxygenation injury.

Studies of the effects of α-difluoromethylornithine and ethanol on the pathogenesis of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice

Both dl-α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and ethanol have been reported to inhibit the growth of fibroblasts in cell culture. The objectives of the present study were to determine whether these compounds could be used to inhibit the growth of fibroblasts in vivo, with a bleomycin-induced mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis. DBA 2J mice were given a single endotracheal injection of bleomycin, 10 nmol. In addition to bleomycin (BLM), groups of animals received 2% DFMO in drinking water for 4 days prior to BLM and 18 days after (BLM DFMO), 6% ethanol in drinking water for 7 days prior to BLM and 21 days after (BLM E7), 6% ethanol in drinking water for 21 days initiated on the day of BLM intubation (BLM E), or DFMO, E7, and BLM in combination (BLM DFMO E7). Animals died or were killed 21 days after bleomycin treatment and lungs were evaluated by histopathologic criteria. DFMO failed to alter the incidence or severity of fibrotic lesions, increased the severity of epithelial metaplasia ( p < 0.05), and reduced the lung disease index (from 56.3 to 42.1%, p < 0.05) and mortality from 83.3 to 41.7% ( p < 0.025). In contrast to the unsatisfactory response to DFMO, pretreatment with ethanol (BLM E7) reduced the incidence of interstitial fibrosis from 91.3 to 71.4% ( p < 0.05) and confluent fibrosis from 73.9 to 20.0% ( p < 0.005). The severity of lesions was also reduced by ethanol, resulting in an 18.5% decrease in interstitial fibrosis, a 25.9% decrease in epithelial metaplasia, and a 55.4% reduction in the lung disease index (all p < 0.01). However, when ethanol and DFMO were administered in combination, the beneficial effects of ethanol alone were not observed, and only the lung disease index was decreased.