Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Quantification of Social Behavior in Adult Rats
Published on: December 14, 2014
Binge ethanol exposure increases liver injury in obese rats
Michal Carmiel-Haggai1, Arthur I Cederbaum, Natalia Nieto
1Department of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and Division of Livers Diseases, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York 10029, USA.
Background & Aims:
The objective of this study was to address the hepatic effects of acute alcohol consumption in obesity by simulating an alcohol binge in genetically obese fa/fa rats compared with lean Fa/? rats.
Methods:
Ethanol 4 g/kg or saline was administered by gavage every 12 hours for 3 days.
Results:
Plasma alcohol levels were similar in both groups. Binge ethanol exposure caused liver injury in obese fa/fa but not in lean Fa/? rats, as assessed by alanine aminotransferase and H&E staining. Obesity impaired the antioxidant defense because basal levels of glutathione, glutamate cysteine ligase modulatory subunit, catalase, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase were lower in fa/fa compared with Fa/? rats; the ethanol binge further decreased these antioxidants in fa/fa rats and also decreased glutathione peroxidase activity. Nonesterified fatty acids and lipid peroxidation were increased after ethanol treatment in fa/fa rats. Cytochrome P450 2E1 was down-regulated in fa/fa compared with Fa/? rats; however, the ethanol binge increased cytochrome P450 2E1 in both genotypes. Adenosine triphosphate decreased and uncoupling protein 2 increased in fa/fa rats treated with ethanol. 3-Nitrotyrosine protein adducts were detected only in fa/fa rats treated with ethanol, and this was accompanied by an induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Ethanol binge increased caspase-3 and caspase-8 activity, the expression of Fas ligand, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling in fa/fa rats.
Conclusions:
These data indicate that binge drinking increases apoptosis and liver injury in obese rats more than in lean controls and suggest that the injury may involve oxidative and nitrosative damage.
Related Concept Videos
Obesity
Drug Dosing: Obese Patients
Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Absorption and Distribution
Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Metabolism and Excretion

