Effect of alcohol ingestion on bone and mineral metabolism in rats
Baran, D.T.; Teitelbaum, S.L.; Bergfeld, M.A.; Parker, G.; Cruvant, E.M.; Avioli, L.V.
American Journal of Physiology 238(6): E507-E510
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9513 PMID: 7386620 Document Number: 162685
From 35 to 91 days old male Holtzman rats were given a stock diet freely and 20% ethanol in their drinking water so that ethanol supplied 31% of their energy intake. Controls were pair-fed on the diet and given dextrimaltose instead of ethanol. On days 74 and 88 all were given 3.6 mg tetracycline intraperitoneally. After 8 weeks blood alcohol was 140 mg/100 ml. There was no gross or histological effect on the liver or testes but trabecular bone volume was decreased despite a normal rate of skeletal mineralization as estimated by time-spaced tetracycline labelling. Serum calcium, phosphate, magnesium, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and testosterone were normal. Ca in urine decreased but phosphate excretion and its renal tubular reabsorption were not affected.