The Effect of Oral Fructose on Ethanol - Induced Changes in Plasma and Hepatic Lipids

The effect of fructose on ethanol - induced hyperlipidemia and triacylglycerol accumulation in the liver was studied in adult albino rabbits using a colorimetric procedure. The results showed that the treatments produced a minimal increase in plasma cholesterol, but gradually increased plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) from a basal value of 0.600±0.017 to 0.800±0.020 mmol/L and 0.810±0.025 mmol/L, respectively, at the end of the 15-week exposure period. While ethanol treatment significantly increased the basal hepatic TAG level from 0.342±0.037 mmol/L to 1.780±0.060 mmol/L (P<0.05), ethanol+fructose treatment insignificantly increased the same to 0.440±0.020 mmol/L (P>0.05). It appears that the metabolism of oral fructose in the presence of ethanol operates a mechanism that either prevents or delays the accumulation of TAG in the liver. Thus, a long- term chronic study is required to establish the more likely possibility.