title: Beer Is Less Harmful for the Liver than Plain Ethanol: Studies in Male Mice Using a Binge-Drinking Model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mechanisms involved in the less damaging effects of beer in comparison to hard spirits have not yet been fully understood. The aim of the study was to determine if the effect of beer intake on the liver differs from that of plain ethanol and if so to determine mechanisms involved.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male C57BL/6J mice received either ethanol, beer (ethanol content: 6 g/kg body weight) or iso-caloric maltodextrin solution. Markers of steatosis, lipogenesis, activation of the toll-like receptor-4 signaling cascade and lipid export in liver and tight junction proteins in duodenum were measured 6 and 12 h after acute ethanol or beer intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcohol ingestion resulted in a significant increase of hepatic triglyceride accumulation 6 and 12 h after ingestion, respectively, being markedly lower in mice fed beer. Expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c mRNA was significantly lower 12 h after alcohol or beer exposure, while fatty acid synthase mRNA expression was induced in livers of ethanol-fed mice and to a lesser extent in mice fed beer 6 h after acute alcohol ingestion. Protein levels of tight junction proteins in the small intestine were similar between groups while expression of myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 in livers was significantly induced in ethanol- but not in beer-fed mice. Concentrations of 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts and inducible nitric oxide synthase protein were also only induced in livers of mice fed ethanol. Protein levels of apolipoprotein B were induced in livers of beer-fed mice only.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that beer is less harmful on the development of acute alcohol-induced liver damage than plain ethanol in male mice.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutritional Sciences, SD Model Systems of Molecular Nutrition, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Str. 25-29, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Landmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Medicine (180a), University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 12, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wagnerberger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutritional Sciences, SD Model Systems of Molecular Nutrition, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Str. 25-29, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Giridhar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kanuri
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutritional Sciences, SD Model Systems of Molecular Nutrition, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Str. 25-29, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Doreen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ziegenhardt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutritional Sciences, SD Model Systems of Molecular Nutrition, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Str. 25-29, 07743 Jena, Germany ina.bergheim@uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bergheim
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001515:Beer / Q000009:adverse effects*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D023421:Models, Animal
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol