Development of riboflavin deficiency in alcohol-fed hamsters

Riboflavin deficiency may be induced by dietary restriction or by drugs. High incidence of rifoflavin deficiency in alcoholics might be due to diet, to the toxic effect of alcohol, or to an interaction of these variables. Aims of this study were to investigate the effects of alcohol on the riboflavin status of Syrian hamsters fed three different levels of riboflavin in a liquid diet. Male Syrian outbred hamsters of 5 weeks of age, acclimated to liquid diets, were randomly assigned to groups that received alcohol-containing diets (AR0, AR1, AR2) or nonalcohol-containing diets (OR0, OR1, OR2) where R1 = 0.5 microgram riboflavin/kcal added and R2 = 1.5 microgram riboflavin added/kcal. No alcohol groups were pair-fed to the alcohol groups. Riboflavin status was monitored by repeated erythrocyte glutathione reductase assays. Animals were sacrificed at 13 weeks of age and liver flavins were determined. Riboflavin depletion occurred during the first 2 weeks of the study and this was followed by a 4-week period of relative improvementin riboflavin status. Thereafter riboflavin depletion continued in all groups but most severely in the alcohol group as measured by erythrocyte glutathione reductase assays. Total liver flavins were lowest in the alcohol-fed, riboflavin-restricted group, indicating that chronic alcohol feeding can induce riboflavin deficiency when intake of the vitamin is marginal.