Evaluating the effects of refined carbohydrate and fat diets with acute ethanol consumption using a mouse model of alcoholic liver injury

Alcoholism is a multifactorial and complex disorder responsible for 5.9% of deaths worldwide. Excessive consumption of ethanol (Et-OH) induces alcoholic liver disease (ALD), a condition comprising a spectrum of clinical signs and morphological changes, ranging from fatty liver (steatosis) to more severe forms of chronic liver injury. Secondary cofactors, such as nutritional and hepatotoxic comorbid conditions, can also contribute to liver disease development. Here we investigated the effects in the progression of ALD following short-term exposure to diet high in refined carbohydrates (HC), a high-sugar and -butter (HSB) hypercaloric diet and acute Et-OH consumption. HSB diet increased the body weight (BW) and adiposity independently of acute Et-OH consumption. HC diet did not affect BW but increased the adiposity, while acute Et-OH alone did not affect BW and adiposity. All groups of mice developed steatosis except the control group. Exposure to acute Et-OH and HSB diet increased the number of neutrophils and macrophages, and apoptosis in the liver. This combination also increased the number of circulating neutrophils and reduced mononuclear cells in the blood. Thus, short-term exposure to HSB diet and acute Et-OH intake is linked to increased liver injury. These findings offer important clues to understand the hepatic injuries associated with short exposure to hypercaloric diets and acute Et-OH.