Effect of Adrenalectomy on Ethanol and Fat Metabolism in the Rat

Abstract

Fasting reduced or completely prevented the accumulation of liver lipid brought about by the administration of ethanol to intact rats; the longer the fast, the greater the degree of inhibition. This is inconsistent with the hypothesis that fatty infiltration of the liver resulting from ethanol intoxication is due to mobilization of depot fat, promoted by increased secretion of pituitary and adrenal cortical hormones. Adrenalectomized rats, pair-fed with intact controls prior to alcohol intoxication, did not show fatty infiltration of the liver after such intoxication, while the controls did. When a single dose of fat was administered to pair-fed adrenalectomized and intact rats, the former showed significantly less liver lipid accumulation and significantly greater blood ketone levels than did the latter. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that fasted or adrenalectomized rats do not show liver lipid accumulation following ethanol administration because they catabolize fat in their livers more rapidly than do fed intact rats.