Effect of ethanol-containing liquid diet upon gonadotropin receptor depletion in rat testis.

By using pair-feeding technique, the number of gonadotropin binding sites per unit mass of testicular homogenate was measured 15, 30, 45 and 60 days after ethanol administration to 60-day-old male rats. The ingestion of ethanol (5%, v/v) as a part of a nutritionally adequate liquid diet resulted in 30, 35 and 40% reduction in gonadotropin receptors by 15, 30 and 45 days, respectively. The body weights in the alcohol-fed rats were comparable to pair-fed controls. These findings suggest that the presence of ethanol in the liquid diet depresses the level of gonadotropin receptors in the rat testis.