Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by FRY, J. R.
Right arrow Articles by MARKS, V.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by FRY, J. R.
Right arrow Articles by MARKS, V.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1977 Medical Council on Alcohol

research-article

Effect of Chronic Ethanol Ingestion on the Structure and Function of Liver, Adrenals and Testes of Male Rats

JEFFREY R. FRYa, JUDIE ENGLISHa, RAY K. LOWINGb, JAGADISH CHAKRABORTYa, ANDREW M. SYMONSa and VINCENT MARKSa

aDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Surrey Guildford, Surrey GU2 5XH
bDepartment of Pathology, St. Peter's Hospital Chertsey, Surrey, England

Ethanol was given as a 15% (v/v) solution in the drinking water to male rats for 58–108 weeks. There was no evidence of true induction of hepatic microsomal enzyme activity nor of fatty liver. Biphenyl- and aniline-4-hydroxylase activities were increased, however, probably due to enzyme activation resulting from removal of bound endogenous substrate by ethanol rather than to new enzyme protein synthesis. Treated animals had markedly enlarged adrenal glands but adrenal histology and serum corticosterone levels were unaffected. The testes were increased in size and weight but their histological appearance was normal. Plasma testosterone levels were lower than in controls and plasma LH levels were markedly elevated. Plasma testosterone protein binding capacity was normal. It is postulated that an early effect of ethanol on the testis is to inhibit testosterone synthesis leading to a compensatory increase in plasma LH secretion and secondary testicular hypertrophy. The findings are discussed in relation to other experimental studies and their possible relevance to human alcoholism.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.