91原创

A new study by researchers at 91原创 found that long-term alcohol exposure caused widespread damage to the gut, liver and metabolism in mice, offering new insight into how chronic alcohol use may harm the body over time.

The study, published in the , was led by 91原创 postdoctoral researcher Muni Swamy Ganjayi, Ph.D., along with Thomas Krauss, D.O./Ph.D. student, Gage Dempster, OMS III, Shaohua Wang, Ph.D., and Cory Baumann, Ph.D., with the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine; Se-Hyung Park, Ph.D., Garrett Anspach and Robert Helsley, Ph.D., with the University of Kentucky; and Sarah Anthony and Michael Tranter, Ph.D., with The Ohio State University.

The team examined how chronic alcohol exposure affected multiple organs and systems at the same time, including the gut microbiome, liver, fat tissue and metabolism.

鈥淥ur findings show that chronic alcohol exposure doesn鈥檛 just affect one organ,鈥� said Baumann, the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Ralph S. Licklider, D.O. Endowed Faculty Fellow in Aging Systems Physiology and an investigator in the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute and the Institute for Molecular Medicine and Aging. 鈥淚t creates a chain reaction throughout the body, especially along the gut-liver axis, leading to inflammation, metabolic problems and tissue damage.鈥�

In addition to reducing muscle strength and endurance and changing body fat and lean muscle mass, researchers also discovered that exposure to alcohol over a long period was associated with important changes in the gut microbiome. Mice exposed to alcohol had lower levels of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and reduced levels of short-chain fatty acids, compounds that help maintain gut health and reduce inflammation.

鈥淭hese gut changes appear to weaken the intestinal barrier and may allow toxins to move from the gut to the liver,鈥� said Baumann. 鈥淭hat can increase inflammation and contribute to liver injury.鈥�

The team also found evidence of unusual protein buildup, called amyloid deposition, in the liver tissue. Amyloid buildup is associated with several serious diseases and may represent another way chronic alcohol harms the liver.

Although the mice consumed slightly fewer calories than the control group, they still developed major metabolic problems, including poor glucose control and abnormal blood lipid levels.

Researchers say the findings highlight the complex and widespread effects of chronic alcohol use and may help scientists develop microbiome-targeted therapies that could reduce alcohol-related tissue damage. 

鈥淥ur study suggests that restoring healthy gut bacteria and improving communication between the gut and liver could become important strategies for treating alcohol-related disease,鈥� Baumann said.

The study was funded in part by the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health.