title: Vitamin A, gender and ethanol interactions.
abstract: The effect of short-term oral administration of Vitamin A on voluntary intake of ethanol (ET) in rats with preference to ET was studied as a function of sex and of androgen intervention. There was a statistically significant reduction in voluntary intake of ET by the Vitamin A treatment, 500 mg/kg/day for 5 days, in the female but not in the male rat. Administration of an androgen, i.e., testosterone 0.1 mg/kg/day for 5 days, exerted no effect on voluntary drinking of ET by the female rat. Coadministration of same dosage of testosterone and of Vitamin A once daily for 5 consecutive days to female rats resulted in less aversion to ET drinking compared to that obtained by Vitamin A alone. Hepatic alcohol and aldehyde-dehydrogenase were not altered by Vitamin A treatment, 500 mg/kg/day for 5 days, in female rats maintained on water ad lib. This is contrasted with induction of liver aldehyde dehydrogenase in male rats. The results suggest that aversion to ET drinking by Vitamin A is not metabolically related and is probably due to its antiestrogenic property and that testosterone partially antagonizes this effect due to its androgenic property in the female rat.
mesh_terms: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012737:Sex Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D013739:Testosterone; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase