Hepatic metabolism in ethanol-treated young rats.

Dams of a Wistar-derived OETI strain were offered a 15% aqueous ethanol solution as drinking-fluid immediately after delivery until weanling. Their offsprings also received the same drinking-fluid from weanling (Group A). Another group of rats received the 15% aqueous ethanol solution only after weanling (Group B). In response to ethanol treatment the retardation of growth was the most marked in Group A, but the growth of rats in Group B was also decreased significantly as compared to that of controls. Hepatic glycogen content was diminished in all of the ethanol-treated groups. Triglyceride content was increased in the livers of female rats in Group A. By comparing earlier results with the present findings the authors point to the importance of strain and sex in experiments when parameters for hepatic metabolism are studied in response to ethanol.