Effect of Binge Alcohol Exposure on Intervertebral Disc Structure and Mechanical Properties in Adult Rats

Binge alcohol drinking is one of the risk factors for developing osteoporosis. Previous studies have reported bone loss in rats after binge alcohol treatment. Binge alcohol exposure has been shown to disrupt collagen scaffold in bone, therefore it is possible that it may also affect the structure of the intervertebral disc. The hypothesis to be addressed is that binge alcohol exposure in skeletally mature rats leads to morphological and biomechanical changes in the intervertebral disc, resulting in altered responses to mechanical loading. Specific Aim 1: Determine the effect of binge alcohol exposure on the mechanical properties of adult rat lumbar spines. The lumbar spine experiences a large variety of mechanical loads during activities of daily living. Hence is helpful to use in vitro application of combined loading pattern (compression/ torsion), in order to mimic in vivo loads in the laboratory setting. Specific Aim 2: Determine the effect of binge alcohol exposure on the morphology of adult rat lumbar spines. The proposed research used peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) measurements and MRI imaging techniques to compare the morphology of the rat intervertebral disc, vertebral body and endplates of the control group and the group exposed to binge alcohol treatment. Rodent animal models are widely used to investigate the biological responses to therapeutic treatment in the context of degenerative disc disease. Rodents can become addicted to alcohol and other substances similarly as humans, and their system can absorb and eliminate several drugs at comparable rates. We have designed and developed a mechanical testing apparatus for in vitro rat spine loading for the purpose of understanding the influence of binge alcohol drinking and the mechanical environment on intervertebral disc degeneration. Along with the MRI and pQCT imaging techniques, we were able to identify the resultant changes in the spine motion segments between control and alcohol groups. This research acts as the first investigation of binge alcohol exposure on the intervertebral disc, which is a step towards exploring degenerative disc disease pathways and its progression in humans.