title: Susceptibility of Males, but Not Females to Developing Femoral Head Osteonecrosis in Response to Alcohol Consumption.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We previously reported that ethanol-containing liquid diet feeding induces osteonecrosis of the femoral head in male rats. Also, it was reported that a large amount of consumed ethanol and a long-term history of drinking were risk factors for osteonecrosis of the femoral head, and that the frequency of alcohol-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head in males was much greater than in females. The higher incidence of alcohol-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head could be due to either higher prevalence of alcohol drinking in males or due to their potential higher sensitivity to alcohol. The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of alcohol consumption and drinking period on the development of osteonecrosis of the femoral head in rats of both sex.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the experimental male rats were allocated to the male one-month ethanol drinking group (M1). Female rats were randomly divided into the female one- to five-months ethanol drinking groups (F1-5). All rats were fed a Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet containing 5% ethanol for one to five months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-month feeding with the ethanol-containing liquid diet resulted in the development of osteonecrosis of the femoral head in seven of twenty in the M1 group, but none in the F1 group, although the mean intake of ethanol per body weight in the M1 group was significantly lower than that in the F1 group. Furthermore, long drinking periods with a large amount of ethanol intake in the F2-5 groups did not induce osteonecrosis of the femoral head.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study shows that lower alcohol consumption over short periods of time that were sufficient to induce osteonecrosis of the femoral head in males had no effect on females. Even with greater alcohol consumption and longer duration, females did not develop osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Therefore, unknown factors related to sex must be responsible for the development of this condition.
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.|Department of Legal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Junya
authors: J
authors: Shimizu
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.|Department of Musculoskeletal Biomechanics and Surgical Development, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Shunichiro
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7828-3256
authors: S
authors: Okazaki
authors: Department of Musculoskeletal Biomechanics and Surgical Development, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Nagoya
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.|Department of Legal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Nobuyuki
authors: N
authors: Takahashi
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Kumiko
authors: K
authors: Kanaya
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Keisuke
authors: K
authors: Mizuo
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Hideki
authors: H
authors: Hyodoh
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Watanabe
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Toshihiko
authors: T
authors: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005270:Femur Head / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010020:Osteonecrosis / Q000209:etiology*; D051381:Rats; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013997:Time Factors