Influence of fructose on the mechanisms for ethanol-induced hypertriglyceridaemia

Abstract

Twelve adult albino rabbits with an average weight of 1.42kg were purchased and divided equally into the normal saline, ethanol and ethanol+fructose-treated groups. The ethanol-treated group orally received 1.5g (40%) ethanol/kg body weight as single daily dose, while the ethanol +fructose-treated animals also received the same ethanol dose, but were given in addition, 0.25gfructose/kg body weight after about 10 min of the ethanol administration. The normal saline-treated rabbits were given the equivalent amount of normal saline in lieu of ethanol. The animals were exposed to these various treatments along with their usual feeding pattern for a regular period of 15 weeks. Results showed that the progressive increase (P<0.05) in plasma triacylglycerol positively correlates with the changes in the activity values of an ethanol-induced microsomal enzyme, gamma- glutamyltransferase (GGT) in both ethanol and ethanol + fructose-treated animals. The relationship was stronger with the ethanol-treated group. The lipoprotein - cholesterol contents showed that ethanol + fructose administration increased the amounts of cholesterol in VLDL and HDL (P>0.05) but decreased (P<0.05) LDL-cholesterol. These observed changes suggest that in the presence of fructose, ethanol may induce hypertriglyceridaemia by increasing hepatic secretion of VLDL and decreasing the removal of triacylglycerol from plasma.

Tanzania Journal of Science Vol. 31 (2) 2005: pp. 5-12