Effect of Moderate Ethanol Administration on Biochemical Indices in Streptozotocin-diabetic Wistar Rats

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of moderate ethanol administration on the biochemical indices in streptozotocin (STZ) -diabetic rats. Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of six animals each. Groups one and two contained non-diabetic normal rats and normal rats treated with ethanol, respectively. Group three was untreated STZ-diabetic rats and group four was made up of ethanol-treated STZ-diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (35 mg/kg), while ethanol (10%(v)/(v)) was given at a dose 2 g/kg thrice per week for three weeks. After the last dose of ethanol and an overnight fasting, rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. Blood was collected by syringe from the heart into plain centrifuge tubes. Results: Moderate ethanol administration to STZ-diabetic rats caused a significant (p < 0.05) increase in relative weight of liver relative to normal. Ethanol intake in STZ-diabetic rats produced an insignificant (p > 0.05) effect on the levels offasting blood glucose (FBG) and HbA(1c) relative to the untreated-diabetic group. Moderately, ethanol administration to STZ-diabetic rats produced a marked and significant (p < 0.05) increase in the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and the activities of alanine aminotransferase relative to untreated diabetic rats. Ethanol-treated diabetic rats had significantly (p < 0.05) lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels, while the activities of lactate dehydrogenase and a-amylase were insignificantly (p > 0.05) affected. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences in all the biochemical indices in normal rats relative to ethanol-treated normal rats. Conclusions: Moderate ethanol administration did not affect FBG and HbA(1c), but altered the lipid profile of STZ-diabetic rats. Moderate ethanol intake may further increase the risk of complications in diabetes.