Proton MR spectroscopic studies of chronic alcohol exposure on the rat brain

PURPOSE: To better understand the long-term pathophysiologic mechanisms of alcoholism-related organic brain damage by serially assessing brain metabolites in chronically exposed rats using both in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) from brain extracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The alcoholic regimen was continued up to 60 weeks. In vivo proton MRS studies were performed at 200 MHz using a small animal imaging/spectrometer. In vitro rat brain extracts were also examined using a 500 MHz vertical bore magnet. Comparison measurements were also obtained in an age-matched control group. RESULTS: In vivo results showed that there is a significant increase in the Cho/NAA ratio in the chronic alcohol-exposed group that reached a maximum around 16 weeks. After 44 weeks of alcohol exposure, Cho/NAA in the alcohol group decreased significantly from its maximum value to a value that was significantly lower than those from the control groups. Brain extract studies demonstrated that PC and GPC were the main components responsible for the observed in vivo spectral changes after 16 and 60 weeks of alcohol consumption, respectively. CONCLUSION: The fluctuation of choline-containing metabolites during alcohol intoxication could explain sometimes seemingly conflicting and confusing results from MRS studies in human and animal studies in which the duration of alcohol consumption and amount are varied widely.