Cardiac Comeback: Reversing Binge-Drinking Damage

Joshua M. Edavettal and Jason D. Gardner, PhD

Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans

Chronic binge drinking of alcohol can eventually lead to alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy (ACM), a disease currently without a cure. Using a mouse model of ACM, we demonstrated significant reduction of systolic function by 30 days. Here, we aimed to investigate whether cardiac function would be restored following a period of abstinence.

We hypothesized that alcohol abstinence would demonstrate notable improvements in overall cardiac function, evidenced by stroke work and dP/dt, in our ACM model.

We employed an adapted version of the chronic-plus-binge model, using C57BL/6J mice subjected to a 30-day protocol of Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet, supplemented with 5% ethanol, in combination with two alcohol binges. Binges were administered on days 10 and 30 (5 g/kg). This resulted in a significant decline in cardiac function. Following the 30-day ethanol exposure, mice were switched to a diet without alcohol for an additional 30 days. Left ventricular catheterization and echocardiography were performed at both the 30- and 60-day time points.

Abstinence from alcohol led to improvements in cardiac function. Specifically, stroke work and dP/dt exhibited notable increases from day 30 to day 60 in these mice. Stroke work in control mice versus ethanol-treated mice at the 30-day mark measured 1622 mmHg*uL ± 129 and 1119 mmHg*uL ± 89, respectively, and there was a subsequent rise to 2032 mmHg*uL ± 139 at day 60. Similarly, dP/dt values at 30 days were 11188 mmHg/s ± 724 for control mice and 8054 mmHg/s ± 665 for ethanol-treated mice, which subsequently increased to 11967 mmHg/s ± 449.

In summary, our findings provide compelling evidence that abstinence from alcohol can effectively reverse cardiac dysfunction resulting from chronic binge consumption of alcohol.

Funding: R21AA029747(JG), F30AA030472(JE)