Abstract

Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd [online]. 2003, vol.22, n.4, pp. 253-258. ISSN 1561-3011.

The paper was aimed at determining the existence of a protective effect of alcohol on atherosclerosis, evaluating the possible effects of chronic ingestion and moderate doses of ethanol on the oxidative stress parameters and exploring the interaction between the efects of a hypercholesterolemic diet and of ethanol on the oxidative stress variables. For this purpose, 22 rabbits were used distributed into 4 groups: treated with alcohol, treated with hypercholesterolemic diet, with alcohol and diet and a control group. The variables superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalases (CAT) and malonil-dialdehyde (MDA) were analyzed. The animals treated with diet showed values of SOD,CAT and MDA significantly higher than those of the rabbits treated with alcohol and the control group. The rabbits under diet and ethanol showed CAT and MDA values that exceeded those observed in rabbits treated only with diet. It was concluded that chronic alcohol consumption, though at moderate dose, disturbs the anti-oxidation system, so we can not state that it has a protective effect against atherosclerosis and that the consumption of a cholesterol-rich diet increases lipid peroxidation and enzymes SOD and CAT.

Keywords : ALCOHOLISM; OXIDATIVE STRESS [drug effects]; ATERIOSCLEROSIS; SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE; CATALASE; ETHANOL [metabolism]; DIET, ATHEROGENIC; HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA; RABBITS.

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