Lifetime prolongation in voluntary alcohol-consuming rats (SHR) treated with clofibrate

Clofibrate affects lipid and alcohol as well as drug and eicosanoid metabolism. Spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) further increase their high voluntary alcohol consumption during clofibrate feeding. The interaction of alcohol and clofibrate was studied in two long-term trials. Seventy-nine male SHR (aged 27 weeks) were offered increasing concentrations of ethanol, up to 30% (tap water ad lib), and 3 months later 0.5% clofibrate-food. Four groups were established: N, normal controls; NA, standard diet+alcohol; C, clofibrate feeding; and CA, clofibrate feeding + alcohol. Food intake, alcohol consumption, body weight, and laboratory values were recorded continuously. Life duration (weeks) after the start of the trial was 63.3 +/- 3.3 in N, 73 +/- 2.6 in NA, 77.7 +/- 4.3 in C, and 90.3 +/- 2.8 in CA. There were no alcohol-related liver findings in NA and CA. Most of the animals died of cardiac and renal failure. An increase of tumors in clofibrate-treated rats was not observed. Voluntary alcohol consumption or clofibrate feeding significantly lengthens lifetime, which is prolonged by 42% if ethanol is combined with clofibrate. This is obviously not mediated by the lipid lowering effect or an influence on body weight and blood pressure of either clofibrate or alcohol.