Effect of short and long-term ethanol feeding on the extent of metabolic tolerance in female rats.

The effects of feeding an ethanol liquid diet for short (4-6 weeks) and long (48-50 weeks) periods on the extent of metabolic tolerance to the drug were studied in female rats. Appropriate pair-fed and solid-diet controls were also included. At the end of both periods of treatment, the rats (4 or 14-month-old), received an acute dose of ethanol (2 g/kg body wt) and pharmacokinetic parameters of ethanol elimination were studied using Widmark's lineal model. Although there were differences in the patterns of ethanol kinetics for solid and liquid diet controls, the rate of ethanol metabolism was clearly enhanced by both short and long-term ethanol intake. Moreover, longer alcohol intake produced higher metabolic tolerance (congruent to 37.5%) than a shorter ethanol feeding period (congruent to 21.5%). The effect of aging on ethanol clearance in the groups fed the solid-diet showed that the rate of ethanol metabolism decreased with increasing age.