Changes in body weight in adolescent male rats treated with moderate doses of alcohol

Abstract

Alcoholism is a psychosocial problem. The average alcohol consumption in America is higher than in other regions of the world and its consumption as a gatekeeper drug must be closely followed in adolescents since the medical-social complications it produces in the period cited can be fatal. Theoretical referents consider that alcohol consumption is related to the reduction of body weight and even more during adolescence. Objective: To determine the gain of body weight in adolescent male rats subjected to alcohol consumption. Method: Wistar male albins rats of 30 days were used, which were included in four groups: experimental and control. Treatment with ethanol diluted in 40% water orally at 3 g / kg body weight in the experimental group and water in an equal dose to the control group, once daily, were given by intra-esophageal cannula for one month and two months. Results and discussion: The rats of the ethanol treated group had a significantly lower weight gain in the two treatment times than the rats in the control group. At two months of treatment with ethanol the weight was less than one month of consumption, findings that coincide with those reported by other authors, who relate the ingestion of ethanol with a decrease in body weight gain in young animals. Conclusions: The consumption of this toxic substance in adolescent rats decreases body weight, even in moderate doses.