Role of endogenous sex steroids in the formation of experimental alcoholism in rats
Vedernikova, N.N.; Bragin, V.B.; Burov, I.V.
Farmakologiia i Toksikologiia 45(5): 94-97
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0014-8318 PMID: 6890470 Document Number: 194232
Depending on the duration of alcoholic narcosis white random-bred male rats predisposed and not predisposed to ethanol consumption manifested no differences in the content of androgens and estrogens in peripheral blood plasma. Ten-day voluntary alcoholization of the animals led to an abrupt reduction in testosterone concentration in blood plasma in much- and little-drinking rats. In the latter ones, that drop was more remarkable. In the course of the formation of the later stages of chronic alcoholism (12 months of voluntary alcoholization) the content of testosterone returned to normal in the group of little-drinking rats but remained slightly decreased in the much-drinking animals. The concentration of estradiol was unchanged in rats of all the test groups. However, the little-drinking animals showed insignificant hyperestrogenism after 12-month voluntary alcohol consumption.