The effect of chronic ethanol ingestion on growth hormone secretion and hepatic sexual dimorphism in male rats
The effect of chronic ethanol ingestion on the activities of several sexually dimorphic hepatic proteins was investigated in male rats by feeding a nutritionally adequate liquid diet supplemented with either ethanol or dextrimaltose. Two androgen-responsive proteins served as markers of masculine hepatic function. A high capacity, moderate affinity male estrogen-binding protein (MEB) is found only in male rat liver cytosol and this activity was significantly reduced in all animals consuming ethanol at a dose of 5% by volume. The estrogen metabolizing enzyme estrogen 2-hydroxylase was also significantly reduced in male rats fed ethanol. Two proteins having higher activity in female compared to male liver were chosen as indicators of feminization: ceruloplasmin and 5[alpha]-reductase. Ceruloplasmin activity was increased after long term feeding of ethanol, but not after shorter durations of alcohol consumption. The 5a-reductase activity was not significantly affected by any of the alcohol feeding studies. Serum testosterone levels were not significantly decreased after ethanol consumption. After 30 or 60 days of ethanol ingestion, serum estradiol was elevated 34% and 40%. The reversibility of ethanol effects was determined by a gradual withdrawal of alcohol from the diet. The effect of ethanol consumption on sex-specific patterns of growth hormone secretion was examined. The secretory pattern of alcohol-fed rats was not feminized; after ethanol ingestion, the frequency of growth hormone pulses was unchanged. An increase in pulse height and mean growth hormone concentration was observed after 60 days of ethanol consumption. This results constitutes a change away from rather than toward the characteristics of a female secretory pattern. The feminization of activities of the male estrogen binding protein and of estrogen 2-hydroxylase in male rat liver after chronic ethanol consumption are not apparently related to a feminization of growth hormone secretion pattern.
- Research Organization:
- Pittsburgh Univ., PA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 5507176
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALCOHOLS
ANDROGENS
ANDROSTANES
ANIMALS
BIOASSAY
BODY
CERULOPLASMIN
CHRONIC INTAKE
COMPLEXES
COPPER COMPLEXES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
ESTRADIOL
ESTRANES
ESTROGENS
ETHANOL
GLANDS
GLOBULINS
GLOBULINS-ALPHA
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HORMONES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
IMMUNOASSAY
IMMUNOLOGY
INGESTION
INTAKE
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
KETONES
LIVER
MAMMALS
METALLOPROTEINS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PEPTIDE HORMONES
PITUITARY HORMONES
PROTEINS
RADIOASSAY
RADIOIMMUNOASSAY
RADIOIMMUNODETECTION
RADIOIMMUNOLOGY
RATS
RODENTS
SECRETION
SEX
STEROID HORMONES
STEROIDS
STH
TESTOSTERONE
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPLEXES
VERTEBRATES