The effect of ethanol on plasma ceruloplasmin level and CaMKII in rats's heart

Chronic alcohol consumption has been associated with cardiovascular abnormalities, including cardiomyopathy, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and stroke. Although the association between chronic alcohol intake and cardiac abnormality is well-known, the exact underlying molecular mediators involved in alcohol-induced heart abnormalities remain elusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic alcohol intake on plasma ceruloplasmin level and calcium /calmodulin-depedent protein kinase II in male Wistar rat's heart.
Sixteen male Wistar rats were divided into two groups, control and ethanol groups. Rats in the ethanol group received ethanol with a dose of 4.5 g/kg body weight saluted in tap water (20% w/v) and administrated intragastrically by gavage once a day. After six weeks of treatment, plasma ceruloplasmin level and CaMKII of heart tissue were measured.
Although the results revealed an increase in CaMKII amount in the ethanol group, compared to that in the control group, it did not reach statistical significance (P-value: 0.75). In addition, there was no significant difference between plasma ceruloplasmin level in the ethanol group and control group (P-value=0.993).
According to results of the current study, although both CaMKII and ceruloplasmin have well known impact on cardiovascular abnormalities, they cannot be considered as molecular mediators involved in alcohol-induced heart disorders.