Blood ethanol concentration profiles: a comparison between rats and mice.

It is important to select an appropriate model system for studies examining the mechanisms of ethanol-induced injury. The most common model systems use either mice or rats with ethanol administered by means of intragastric gavage or intraperitoneal injection, yet few studies have compared directly the blood ethanol concentration (BEC) profiles that result from each of these model systems. In the current study, Sprague-Dawley rats and C57BL/6J mice were given ethanol by means of intragastric gavage or intraperitoneal injection at 40 days of age. Blood samples were collected at consistent time intervals to determine BECs. Blood ethanol concentrations in mice were sharper, with a more rapid rise to a sharp peak BEC, followed by a relatively rapid decline. In contrast, rat BEC profiles showed an initial rapid rise, followed by a more gradual rise to peak concentrations, and, then, a relatively gradual decline. This difference was particularly evident in rats receiving ethanol intragastrically. The differences found in BEC profiles between rats and mice and between ethanol administration paradigms may yield differences in the extent or mechanism of damage induced by ethanol, an important consideration when selecting an appropriate model for the investigation of ethanol-induced tissue damage.