Abstract
Objectives
We examined the effect of daily-moderate (2 drinks/day, 7 days/week) and weekend-binge
(7 drinks/day, 2 days/week) patterns of alcohol consumption on plasma lipid levels
and physiological parameters of atherosclerotic plaque development.
Methods
ApoE k/o mouse were fed (1) ‘daily-moderate’ (blood alcohol content: 0.07%) or (2)
‘weekend-binge’ (blood alcohol content: 0.23%), or (3) an isocaloric cornstarch mix.
Then, to induce atherosclerotic plaque formation, all groups underwent partial carotid
artery ligation, started on an atherogenic diet and continued on the alcohol feeding
regimen. After 2 weeks plasma lipid levels and atherosclerotic plaque formation were
assessed.
Results
While there was an increase in HDL-C levels in both binge and moderate groups, LDL-C
levels were significantly decreased in the daily-moderate drinking mice and significantly
elevated in the weekend-binge drinking mice. In the daily-moderate alcohol group there
was a decrease in atherosclerotic plaque volume, concomitant with an increase in lumen
volume and decreased macrophage accumulation, when compared to no alcohol mice. In
contrast, after 4 weeks of weekend-binge alcohol there was an increase in plaque volume,
concomitant with a decrease in lumen volume and increased deposition of macrophages.
Conclusion
These findings demonstrate for the first time a differential effect of daily-moderate
vs. weekend-binge alcohol consumption on atherosclerotic plaque development and highlight
the importance of patterns of alcohol consumption, as opposed to total amount consumed,
in relation to the cardiovascular effects of alcohol.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 19, 2011
Accepted:
August 18,
2011
Received in revised form:
August 8,
2011
Received:
June 20,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
