Abstract
Teenage drinking continues to be a major problem in the United States as well as abroad. A significant depression in serum testosterone in adolescents who consume EtOH has been well described. In the male rodent model, a similar fall in testosterone has been reported, and prevention with the opiate blocker naltrexone has been demonstrated. To explore further the impact of chronic EtOH exposure on the reproductive axis in peripubertal rats, we designed this study specifically to define whether or not there was recovery after abstinence by examining reproductive hormones and their genes during and after EtOH exposure. Peripubertal male rats 35 dold were fed an EtOH-containing diet or a calorically matched control diet for 60 d. A third group was fed the control liquid diet ab libitum. EtOH was then withdrawn and all animals were fed standard rat chow and water ad libitum for an additional 3 mo. The EtOH-imbibing animals were found consistently to weigh less than their pair-fed mates and liquid diet ad libitum animals. Serum testosterone levels and testicular weights were significantly decreased by EtOH whereas serum estradiol levels were higher, suggesting enhanced peripheral conversion by EtOH. Spermatogenesis, assessed by histological parameters, was unaltered by EtOH. Serum luteinizing hormone levels were not different among the groups. Hypothalamic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone mRNA levels were unaffected by EtOH. During the 3-mo recovery period, all the changes reversed, with a significant increase noted in testosterone. All other parameters remained the same among the groups. Thus, although chronic EtOH exposure in the peripubertal age period results in significant reproductive alterations, there is complete recovery on withdrawal.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Steiner, J., Halloran, M., LaPaglia, N., Emanuele, N. V., and Emanuele, M. A. (1997). J. Endocrinol. 154, 363–370.
Dees, W. L., McArthur, N. H., and Harns, P. G. (1984). Exp. Brain Res. 54, 197–202.
Steiner, J., Halloran, M., Jabamoni, K., Emanuele, N. V., and Emanuele, M. A. (1996). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 20, 1368–1374.
Salonen, I., Pakarinen, P., and Huhtaniemi, I. (1992). J. Pharm. Exp. Ther. 260, 463–476.
Adams, M. and Cicero, T. J. (1991). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 15, 685–692.
Little, P. J., Adams, M. L., and Cicero, T. J. (1992). J. Pharm. Exp. Ther. 263, 1056–1061.
Cicero, T. J., Adams, M. L., O'Connor, L., Nock, B., Meyer, E. R., and Wozniak, D. (1990). J. Pharm. Exp. Ther. 255, 707–715.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (1990). DHHS Publication No. (ADM) 90-1656, Washington: Government Printing Office.
Meilman, P. W., Stone, J. E., Gaylor, M. S., and Turco, J. H. (1990). J. Studies Alcohol 51, 389–395.
Bailey, S. L. and Valey, R. J. (1993). J. Studies Alcohol 54, 555–565.
Milgram, G. G. (1993). Studies Alcohol Suppl. 11, 53–61.
Emanuele, N. V., LaPaglia, N., Steiner, J., Kirsteins, L., and Emanuele, M. A. (1999). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 23, 60–66.
Emanuele, M. A., LaPaglia, N., Steiner, J., Jabamoni, K., Hansen, M., Kirsteins, L., and Emanuele, N. V. (1998). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 22, 1199–1204.
Adams, M. L., Forman, J. B., Kalicki, J. M., Meyer, E. R., Sewing, B., and Cicero, T. J. (1993). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 17, 660–663.
Adams, M. L., Meyer, E. R., Sewing, B. N., and Cicero, T. J. (1994). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 18, 959–965.
Lancaster, F. E. (1992). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 16, 539–541.
Shi, Q., Emanuele, N. V., and Emanuele, M. A. (1998). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 22, 1763–1770.
Shi, Q., Hales, D. B., Emanuele, N. V., and Emanuele, M. A. (1998). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 22, 1754–1762.
Van Thiel, D. H., Gavaler, J. S., Lester, R., and Goodman, M. D. (1975). Gastroenterology 69, 326–332.
Symonds, A. M. and Marks, V. (1975). Biochem. Pharm. 24, 955–958.
Cicero, T. J. and Badger, T. M. (1977). J. Pharm. Exp. Ther. 201, 427–433.
Van Thiel, D. H., Gavaler, J. S., and Cobb, C. F. (1979). Endocrinology 105, 888–895.
Salonen, I. and Huhtaniemi, I. T. (1990). Biol. Reprod. 42, 55–62.
Lang, C. H., Fan, J., Lipton, B. P., Potter, B. J., and McDonough, K. H. (1998). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 22, 823–829.
Resnicoff, M., Cui, S., Coppola, D., Hoek, J. B., and Rubin, R. (1996). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 20, 961–966.
Cui, S., Tewari, M., Schneider, T., and Rubin, R. (1997). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 21, 1121–1127.
Orpana, A. K., Harkonen, M., and Eriksson, C. J. P. (1990). Alcohol. Alcoholism 25, 499–507.
Badr, F. M., Bartke, A., Dalteric, S., and Bulger, W. (1977). Steroids 30, 647–655.
Cobb, C. F., Ennis, M. F., Van Thiel, d. H., Gavaler, J. S., and Lester, R. (1978). Gastroenterology 75, 958–965.
Ellingboe, J. and Varanelli, C. C. (1978). Res. Commun. Chem. Pathol. Pharm. 24, 87–102.
Cicero, T. J., Bell, R. D., Meyer, E. R., and Badger, T. M. (1980). J. Pharm. Exp. Ther. 213, 228–233.
Gordon, G. G., Altman, K., Southren, A. L., Rubin, E., and Lieber, C. S. (1976). N. Engl. J. Med. 295, 793–797.
Southren, A. L., Gordon, G. G., Olivo, J., Rafii, F., and Rosenthal, W. S. (1973). Metabolism, 22, 695–702.
Rubin, E., Lieber, C. S., Altman, K., Gordon, G. G., and Southren, A. L. (1976). Science 19, 563–564.
Gordon, G. G., Southren, A. L., and Lieber, C. S. (1978). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 2, 259–263.
Gordon, G. G., Southren, A. L., Vittek, J., and Lieber, C. S. (1979). Metabolism 28, 20–25.
Van Thiel, D. H., Lester, R., and Sherins, R. J. (1974). Gastroenterology 67, 1188–1199.
Van Thiel, D. H., Lester, R., and Vaitukaitis, J. (1978). J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 47, 499–507.
Loyd, C. W. and Williams, R. H. (1948). Am. J. Med. 4, 315–330.
Emanuele, M. A. Halloran, M. M., Uddin, S., Tentler, J. J., Emanuele, N. V., Lawrence, A. M., and Kelley, M. R. (1993). In: Alcohol and the endocrine system (Zahkari, S. ed.) NIH Publication #23: Bethesda, MD.
Van Thiel, D. H. and Lester, R. (1978). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 2, 265–270.
Mendelson, J. H., Mello, N. K., and Ellingboe, J. (1977). J. Pharm. Exp. Ther. 202, 676–682.
Mendelson, J. H., Ellingboe, J., Mello, N. K., and Kuehnle, J. (1978). Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 2, 255–258.
Halloren, M. M., Emanuele, M. A., Emanuele, N. V., Tentler, J. J., and Kelley, M. R. (1995). Endocrine 3, 469–473.
Emanuele, M. A., Tentler, J. J., Emanuele, N. V., Kelley, M. R. (1991). Alcohol 8, 345–348.
Azad, N., Duffner, L., Paloyan, E. B., Reda, D., Kirsteins, L., Emanuele, N. V., and Lawrence, A. M. (1990). Endocrinology 127, 1928–1933.
Kelley, M. R., Jurgens, J. K., Tentler, J. J., Emanuele, N. V., Blutt, S. E., and Emanuele, M. A. (1993). Alcohol. 10, 185–189.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Emanuele, N.V., LaPaglia, N., Vogl, W. et al. Impact and reversibility of chronic ethanol feeding on the reproductive axis in the peripubertal male rat. Endocr 11, 277–284 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1385/ENDO:11:3:277
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/ENDO:11:3:277