Epidemiological and histopathological study of relevance of Guizhou Maotai liquor and liver diseases.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the relevance of Maotai liquor and liver diseases.


METHODS
Epidemiological study was conducted on groups of subjects, each consisting of 3 subjects from the Maotai liquor group consisting of 99 individuals and one from the non-alcoholic control group consisting of 33 individuals. Liver biopsy was performed on 23 volunteers from Guizhou Maotai Distillery who had a constant and long history of drinking Maotai liquor. Experimental histopathological study was conducted as follows: sixty male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups randomly and fed with Maotai liquor, ordinary white wine, and physiological saline respectively for a period of 8 and 12 weeks. The rats were sacrificed in batches, then serum ALT, AST, TBil, and AKP were measured. Rat livers were harvested to measure the liver indexes, GSH, and MDA. Histopathological examinations were also performed. Another eighty mice were randomly divided into 4 groups and fed with Maotai (at different dosages of 10 ml.kg(-1) and 20 ml.kg(-1)), ethanol, and physiological saline. The animals were sacrificed after 4 weeks and serum ALT was determined. Then the livers were harvested and liver indexes and MDA were measured.


RESULTS
The incidence rate of hepatic symptoms, splenomegaly, liver function impairment, reversal of Albumin/Globulin and increased diameter of portal veins in the Maotai liquor group were 1.0% 1/99 , 1.0% 1/99 , 1.0% 1/99 , 1.0% 1/99 , 0 0/99 and 0 0/99 , 0 0/99 ,0 0/99 , 0 0/99 , 0 0/99 , respectively. There was no significant difference between the Maotai group and the non-alcoholic control group P>0.05 . Various degree of fatty infiltration of hepatocytes was found in the 23 volunteers receiving liver biopsy, but there was no obvious hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis. A comparison was made between the Maotai liquor group and the ordinary white wine group. It was found that hepatic MDA in rats and mice were 0.33+/-0.10 and 0.49+/-0.23 respectively in Maotai group and 0.61+/-0.22 and 0.66+/-0.32 in the ordinary white wine group; MDA had an obvious decrease in the Maotai liquor group (P<0.05); hepatic GSH were 0.12 mg.g(-1)+/-0.06 mg.g(-1) in rats of the Maotai liquor group and (0.08+/-0.02)mg.g(-1) in white wine group, it was obviously increased in the Maotai liquor group (P<0.05). After the 20 rats had been fed with ordinary white wine for 8 weeks consecutively, disarranged hepatocyte cords, fatty infiltration of hepatocytes, and fibrous septa of varying widths due to hepatic connective tissues proliferation were observed; after 12 weeks, the fibrous tissue proliferation continued and early cirrhosis appeared. Compared with the ordinary white wine group, fatty infiltration was observed in the 8-week and 12-week groups, but no necrosis or fibrosis or cirrhosis was found in the Maotai liquor group (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Maotai liquor may cause fatty liver but not hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis, and it can strengthen lipid peroxidation in the liver.
Wu
Jun
J
Department of Infectious Diseases,Affiliated Hospital, Guiyang Medical College, Guizyang 550004, Guizhou Province, China. wuwuj@21cn.com
Cheng
Ming-Liang
ML
Zhang
Guo-Hao
GH
Zhai
Rong-Wei
RW
Huang
Neng-Hui
NH
Li
Cheng-Xiu
CX
Luo
Tian-Yong
TY
Lu
Shuang
S
Yu
Zhi-Qin
ZQ
Yao
Yu-Mei
YM
Zhang
Ying-Ying
YY
Ren
Lan-Zhen
LZ
Ye
Lan
L
Li
Ling
L
Zhang
Hui-Na
HN
D000328:Adult; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014920:Wine / Q000009:adverse effects