Effects on lipids, coagulation factors and liver histology of long-term ethanol administration to guinea-pigs.

The constant failure to produce a liver cirrhosis that can be ascribed to alcohol in the rat promoted the present study in guinea-pigs. The animals were given 40 per cent of calories as ethanol during 8 months. However, no alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis developed. Triglycerides and cholesterol increased in the liver and in serum. The persistance of liver triglyceride increase in spite of a rather low fat content of the diet is in contrast to experiences in the rat. A slight depression of coagulation factors II, VII, X and XI was observed in the ethanol-fed animals.