Oral chronic ethanol administration to rodents by agar gel diet.
BACKGROUND
Chronic ethanol administration to rodents requires specially designed equipment and is labor intensive. Here we report a new procedure.


METHODS
A commercial liquid diet preparation was made into a gel by addition of 0.5% agar. The gel, containing 5.3% ethanol, was offered in Falcon tubes equipped with a feeding opening.


RESULTS
The gel consumption by C57/Bl mice resulted in high blood ethanol levels (average 43 mM). After 6 weeks, marked liver steatosis and significantly increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels had developed.


CONCLUSIONS
Administration of ethanol in a nutritionally adequate gel provides a simple method for studies on chronic ethanol effects in rodents.
Bykov
I
I
National Public Health Institute, Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research Center, POB 33, 00251 Helsinki, Finland.
Palmén
M
M
Piirainen
L
L
Lindros
K O
KO
D000362:Agar; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000209:etiology; D005526:Food, Formulated; D005782:Gels; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D005782:Gels; D000431:Ethanol; D000362:Agar; D000410:Alanine Transaminase