Ethanol-Metrecal diets: I. effects of different levels of ethanol-derived kilocalories on consumption of diet, body weight and grams of ethanol ingested.

Three experiments investigated the relationship between ethanol consumption and the percentage of ethanol-derived kilocalories contained in liquid diets. Rats were chronically maintained on diets where different concentrations of ethanol (10%, 12%, 14%) were added to Metrecal so that 41%, 49% and 57% of all kilocalories consumed were derived from ethanol. The ethanol-Metrecal diet served as the sole source of calories. Results demonstrated that rats can be maintained for extended time periods on diets where ethanol contributed approximately 50% of the daily kilocalories. Inspection of consummatory profiles revealed that an initial decrease occurred in volume of diet consumed when levels of ethanol were increased. This was followed by a gradual increase in the level of consumption until a new asymptotic level was established. Grams of ethanol/kg of body weight remained relatively constant over the range of ethanol concentrations employed. The results were discussed in respect to three factors controlling consummatory behavior--sensory stimuli, caloric intake and quantity of ethanol ingested.