Conclusions
Chronic administration of whiskey to adult female rats reduced hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity. Isocitric dehydrogenase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase activities were also decreased.
When a low-protein diet was given in addition to whiskey, the activity of the hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase and mean activity of isocitric dehydrogenase decreased even more.
Animals subjected to a low-protein diet only did not experience changes in alcohol dehydrogenase activity, but activities of isocitric dehydrogenase and of the transaminases were reduced.
Results obtained in these experiments indicate that whiskey given to rats affects the liver cells directly, altering the alcohol-dehydrogenase system, the isocitric dehydrogenase system, the glutamic pyruvic transaminase system, and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase system.
Depression of AD occurred more rapidly with whiskey than with ethanol.
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This investigation was supported in part by PHS Research Grant A-3104 (Cl) Met. and PHS Training Grant 2A-5213 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, U. S. Public Health Service.
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Figueroa, R.B., Klotz, A.P. The effect of whiskey and low-protein diets on hepatic enzymes in rats. Digest Dis Sci 9, 121–127 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02243515
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02243515