Effect of chronic ethanol dosing on hepatic triglyceride and phospholipid profile and fatty acids in the guinea pig

An alcohol feeding study was conducted with guinea pigs to evaluate the influence of alcohol upon hepatic triglyceride and total phospholipid profile as well as phospholipid fatty acids. Twenty-seven guinea pigs were randomly assigned into four groups consisting of a control and alcohol-treated group and each group carried over a 105- or 135-day period . Alcohol was administered via the drinking water starting with a 2.5% solution (v/v) and gradually increased to 12.5% (v/v) over a 30-day period and thereafter maintained continuously for either 75 or 105 days, respectively. Control guinea pigs received glucose via the drinking water to match isocalorically the alcohol given to the test animals. At the end of the 105- and 135-day periods, animals were sacrificed and livers collected. Hepatic triglycerides were significantly elevated by alcohol dosing, whereas total phospholipid fraction remained essentially unaltered. No significant time effect was observed on hepatic triglyceride and phospholipid profiles. In ethanol-fed guinea pigs, significant increases in percentages of 18:1 n-9 and 18:2 n-6 and decreases in 16:0, 20:3 n-6 and 20:4 n-6 were observed in hepatic total phospholipid fatty acid profile compared to controls. In addition, other polyenoic acids including 22:4 n-6, 22:5 n-6, 22:5 n-3, and 22:6 n-3 were found to be highly significantly depressed in alcohol-treated animals in comparison to the controls. This study provides important baseline lipid data on guinea pig responses to ethanol and provides a starting point for the use of the guinea pig as an experimental model.