Losses of arachidonic acid in rat liver after alcohol inhalation.

This paper presents an animal model of alcoholism in which rats were exposed to alcohol by inhalation and were fed a diet that simulated the poor diet of some alcoholics. It is hypothesized that some of the pathophysiological effects of alcohol are related to its effects on essential fatty acid metabolism and composition of vital organs. A diet that contains no 20- and 22-carbon essential fatty acids and has low levels of 18-carbon essential fatty acids was used as a dietary challenge. Addition of a second metabolic challenge, i.e., alcohol, led to loss of tissue polyunsaturates, particularly liver arachidonate. A method of cycling alcohol inhalation for 12 h/d was also presented, which was also shown to lower liver arachidonic acid content.