Effect of chronic ethanol diet on expression of gonadotropin genes in the male rat.

The present study elucidates further the defect in the function of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in the male rat after a 6% ethanol diet for 5 weeks. The body, testis, prostate and seminal vesicle weights of the ethanol-treated animals did not differ from those of the pair-fed controls. However, the weights of the ethanol and pair-fed groups were significantly lower than in untreated controls (P less than .001). The pituitary luteinizing hormone beta mRNA level of ethanol-treated rats was significantly higher (P less than .05) but the follicle-stimulating hormone beta mRNA level was lower (P less than .05) than those of the diet control group. Additionally, the follicle-stimulating hormone beta mRNA level of the diet controls was higher than that of the untreated controls (P less than .05). There were no significant differences in the levels of common-alpha subunit or prolactin mRNA between the groups. The serum and testicular testosterone concentrations of the ethanol and diet control groups did not differ, but both were significantly lower than in untreated controls (P less than .01). The serum luteinizing hormone of ethanol rats was significantly higher than that of diet controls (P less than .01), but the pituitary luteinizing hormone, the serum and pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone and the prolactin of ethanol and diet control animals did not differ.