The Animal Core will provide the Intragastric Ethanol Infusion model (IEI model) to the Center investigators and coordinate the shared use of the model and its tissues by the Center and non-Center members. The IEI model was devoted fifteen years ago by two of the Center investigators (Tsukamoto and French), and re now used by several independent laboratories in the U.S. for studies on the pathogenesis of ethanol induced organ injury and ethanol metabolism. Though the model uses an unphysiologic mode of intragastric infusion for alimentation and ethanol administration, it is a powerful tool with which the relative roles of ethanol and dietary factors can be investigated in an absolutely and independently controlled fashion. Due to this virtue, the model became the first rodent model in which progressive alcoholic liver injury was induced and the contribution of the nutritional factors (fat, iron, etc0 was unquestionably demonstrated. The model was also instrumental in identifying ethanol-induced """"""""priming"""""""" and """"""""sensitization"""""""" mechanisms which we proposed underlie alcoholic liver and pancreatic injury. All Research and Pilot Projects of the Center address this Center theme through utilization of the IEI model except for Pilot Project-2 which does not require animals. Thus, the model is an integral component of the enter, and the Core will provide it in a standardized manner while minimizing duplication of the model maintenance efforts and costs. It is also the Animal Core's objective to promote the animal or tissue sharing program available to non-enter investigators and to assist their training in all technical aspects of the IEI model upon request. The Core will also provide the Lieber-DeCarli model to the Research Project-1 which comparatively studies effects of moderate and heavy ethanol intake.
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