Acute Effects of Ethanol on Mineral Metabolism and Trabecular Bone in Sprague-Dawley Rats

1432-0827

Key words: Alcohol — Toxic effect — Mineral metabolism — Sprague-Dawley rat — Histomorphometry — Trabecular bone

Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000

Biology

Medicine

Physics

Abstract. In order to assess the effects of acute ethanol intoxication on bone, 45 female Sprague-Dawley rats were studied. Five rats were sacrificed at baseline. The remainder received either ethanol (2 g/kg of body weight) intraperitoneally or isotonic saline. Rats were sacrificed in groups of 10 (5 intoxicated and 5 placebo) at 1, 4, 8, and 24 hours after injection. At the time of sacrifice, a blood sample was obtained and the 4th vertebra was excised for histomorphometric analysis of undecalcified bone. Effect of ethanol was assessed by an analysis of variance test using a Scheffé procedure. In ethanol-treated rats we observed (mean ± SD, ethanol versus controls, maximum difference point, P value) a significant decrease in osteiod surface with osteoblasts (42.86 ± 15.61% versus 64.57 ± 6.24%, P 〈 0.05); osteoclast number (0.05 ± 0.02 n/mm2 versus 0.17 ± 0.09 n/nm2, P 〈 0.05), and osteocalcin (36.9 ± 2.21 ng/ml versus 45.8 ± 5.1 ng/ml, P 〈 0.05). Osteoclast surface was initially reduced (0.129 ± 0.09% versus 0.425 ± 0.26%, P 〈 0.01) but showed a subsequent increase (0.765 ± 0.24% versus 0.226 ± 0.17%, P 〈 0.01) attributable to alcohol. There was also a significant decrease in serum Ca (8.51 ± 0.23 mg/dl versus 9.10 ± 0.29 mg/dl, P 〈 0.01) and parathyroid hormone values (23.51 ± 5.72 pg/ml versus 76.39 ± 11.66 pg/ml, P 〈 0.001). We conclude that acute alcohol intoxication in rats induces early striking changes in bone histology and analytical parameters, not completely reversed after 24 hours. These data are consistent with a toxic effect induced by alcohol on bone.

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