Objective: To investigate the effect of ethanol intake on the insulin sensitivity of hepatic tissue in male rats and explores its possible molecular mechanisms.
Methods: Wister rats were administrated ethanol at a dose of 0 (control), 0.8 (low ethanol, L), 1.6 (medium ethanol, M) and 2.4 g/kg (high ethanol, H) daily, respectively. Each group had ten males. Nineteen weeks later, serum was collected for testing of fasting plasma glucose and insulin. Total liver RNA was extracted. The expression levels of IR, IRS-1, IRS-2 mRNA in hepatic tissue were detected by RT-PCR.
Results: Compared with the control group, the glucose concentration significantly increased in H ethanol groups (P < 0.05), the insulin concentration significantly increased in L and M ethanol groups (P < 0.05), HOMA-IR significantly increased in every ethanol group (P < 0.05). IR mRNA expression remarkably decreased in every ethanol group. IRS-1, IRS-2 mRNA expression increased in L and M ethanol groups but decreased in H ethanol group.
Conclusion: The present study showed that ethanol abuse could induce to insulin resistance. The decreased of IR, IRS-1, IRS-2 mRNA expression of liver may be involved in the molecular mechanism of the effects of ethanol on insulin insensitivity.