OBJECTIVE

This study was launched to determine comparative effects of corn oil (CO), safflower oil (SO), fish oil (FO) and palm oil (PO) on carnitine status and ethanol metabolism in rats.

METHODS

Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats (300 g bw) were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6) and fed a semisynthetic diets containing fat as oils listed above. Blood and 24 hour urine samples were collected before and after dietary treatment and acute ethanol administration. Samples were analyzed for blood-ethanol concentration (BEC) and carnitine species.

RESULTS

The diets containing FO and PO retarded ethanol metabolism compared to the diets containing CO and SO. The effect of these dietary fats on carnitine species in plasma and urine was varied before and after dietary treatment and following a single oral ethanol dose. The liver carnitine content was higher in the PO group after dietary and ethanol treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

It is concluded that attenuation of ethanol clearance was related to unique fatty acid makeup of the oils that in part may be attributed to the composite ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids in the oils.