title: Effects of arachidonic acid on hepatic lipids in ethanol-fed rats.
abstract: The effects of arachidonic acid supplementation on rats fed ethanol employing an ad libitum schedule have been reported to be different from those observed when rats are fed in more limiting, matched fashion. To reexamine this issue, rats were fed unrestricted amounts of a diet in which 36% of the energy was provided by either ethanol or isocaloric amounts of carbohydrate. In half the animals, 7% of fat consisted of arachidonic acid. Despite earlier reports to the contrary, arachidonic acid had no effect on weight gain and did not attenuate the ethanol-induced fatty liver. Arachidonate supplementation tended to increase hepatic total lipids and triacylglycerols, and to potentiate the ethanol-induced elevation of cholesterol esters. Our present results are consistent with those previously reported using pair-feeding techniques in which dietary intakes are somewhat limited. Thus, regardless of the feeding technique employed, relative arachidonic deficiency cannot be involved to explain the lipid accumulation observed after chronic ethanol consumption.
authors.affiliation: Section of Liver Disease and Nutrition and Alcohol Research Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York 10468.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Korsten
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: De Carli
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lieber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D000431:Ethanol; D002784:Cholesterol