Extent of liver damage from bingeing revealed

New research has revealed that repeated binge drinking by those who frequently consume alcohol increases liver damage “tremendously”.

In mice exposed to chronic alcohol use and repeat binge episodes, liver damage increased tremendously

Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine studied the effects of chronic alcohol use, repeated episodes of binge drinking, and a combination of both on a group of mice over a four-week period, and compared them to a control group.

The results showed that chronic alcohol use and repeated binge drinking caused “moderate liver damage” in comparison to the control group.

However the mice that were exposed to both showed “significantly higher” levels of liver damage than the other groups.

Shivendra Shukla, lead author of the study, said: “Either chronic alcohol use or acute repeat binge episodes caused moderate liver damage when compared to the control group not exposed to alcohol. This outcome came as no surprise.

“However, in the mice exposed to both chronic use and repeat binge episodes, liver damage increased tremendously. Even more shocking was the extent of fatty deposits in the livers of those exposed to chronic plus binge alcohol. It was approximately 13 times higher than the control group.”

Alcohol damages the liver by causing large fatty deposits in the organ which affect its ability to function properly. The fatty deposits were also caused in in part by metabolic changes within the liver, which in addition to increasing the number of fatty liver deposits, also increased stress on the liver, and decreased the liver’s ability to fight this stress.

Shukla added: “Drinking alcohol excessively can create an inflammatory response to the liver and other organ systems in the body.

“If those organs work at a lower level of function, then a whole host of physiological processes can be affected. It is important for us to understand the extent of damage caused by alcohol abuse, which also can lead to other health issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer.”

The study, In Vivo Acute on Chronic Ethanol Effects in Liver: A Mouse Model Exhibiting Exacerbated Injury, Altered Metabolic and Epigenetic Responses, was published in Biomolecules, a peer-reviewed journal on biogenic substances published by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.