Effects of binge alcohol drinking during youth on bone - a pilot study

Chronic excessive alcohol consumption is an established and frequent risk factor of osteoporosis and has been shown to be associated with alterations of muscle and bone tissue. Moreover, there is increasing evidence to suggest, that acute alcohol intoxication has profound effects on bone metabolism. In recent years, long term effects of heavy episodic drinking termed binge drinking and defined as the consumption of several drinks in a row, have been recognized to be a major public health issue. Nevertheless, very little is known about bone effects of binge drinking in adolescents, the group mainly affected by this phenomenon. Binge drinking in rats leads to reduced bone mineral density and reduced bone formation. However, data on alcohol effects on muscle and bone tissue in larger animal models are still missing. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate effects of binge drinking on muscle and bone tissue in adolescent pigs, a large animal model that, due to several anatomic and physiologic similarities of porcine and human organ systems, seems to be a suitable model to gain information about musculoskeletal effects in humans. 10 pigs will be randomly assigned to binge drinking or the control group. Animals randomized to the binge drinking group will receive a mixture of alcohol and apple juice, animals randomized to the control group will receive apple juice. At the age of two, three, and four months, serum levels of musculoskeletal markers will be determined. All animals of the pilot study will be euthanized at the end of the 4th month, bone samples will be taken and bone microarchitecture will be assessed. Based on the outcomes of this feasibility study, a larger study investigating long and short term effects of binge drinking on the musculoskeletal system in pigs will be planned.

Although chronic alcohol consumption in adults is an established risk factor of osteoporotic fractures, there is a huge gap in our knowledge about short- and long-term bone effects of binge drinking in adolescents. The aim of this pilot study was to develop a large animal model of skeletal effects of binge drinking in adolescents. Piglets aged two months were offered alcohol orally as a mixture of hard liquour and apple juice. Control piglets received apple juice in an identical manner. We established a protocol for alcohol administration that ensures blood alcohol levels above a certain threshold. Moreover, we exactly defined localizations for obtaining bone samples, thereby allowing comparison of bone microarchitecture and dynamic and static histomorphometric parameters between different sites. Analysis revealed bone effects that are site specific and that have to be verified in a larger study population. Taken together, we have established pigs as a promising model for binge alcohol drinking during adolescence. This model will add valuable insights into alcohol impact on trabecular and cortical bone strength and might also be used to study long term effects of juvenile binge alcohol drinking on the bone compartment.