American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 25, 881-896, Copyright © 1972 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Recovery from chronic hepatic lesions in rats fed alcohol and a solid super diet

¹ Professor of Pathology, University of Hawaii School of Medicine
² Senior Investigator of the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas of Argentina

When rats consume for prolonged periods large amounts of a sweetened alcohol mixture, the hepatic lesions, i.e., fatty changes, fibrosis, and cirrhosis, which eventually develop, depend on the adequacy of the final regimen (alcohol plus food, given separately).

In this experiment, the morphofunctional effects of a nutritious alcohol regimen administered for 3 months were explored in young male rats that had been previously maintained for 6 months on eight different alcohol and nonalcohol regimens of various adequacies. Even when the intake of alcohol was high (approximately 50% of total calories), recovery from previously induced nutritional hepatic lesions was effected if the accompanying intake of all essential food factors and vitamins was abundant (super diet). These data have obvious implications for the clinician facing the problems of the chronic alcoholic.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. S. Hartroft, E. A. Porta, L. Feinman, and C. S. Lieber Fibrogenic Effect of Alcohol in Rat Liver: Role of Diet Science, January 26, 1973; 179(4071): 406 - 407. [PDF]