title: Effect of chronic ethanol consumption on leucine absorption in the rat small intestine.
abstract: Intestinal absorption of leucine was measured in vivo in rats given ethanol for 7 weeks either through a liquid diet or through drinking water and the results were compared with pair-fed and ad libitum-fed control rats. Total leucine absorption by the entire intestine was not inhibited by ethanol but specific absorption per dry weight of mucosa was increased in the ethanol-fed rats. The intestine of the ethanol-fed rats was shorter and thinner then the ad libitum control rats but its absorptive capacity was maintained by functional adaptation probably by a mechanism similar to that which occurs with semistarvation.
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D007930:Leucine