AIM:To explore the relevance of Maotai liquor and liverdiseases.METHODS:Epidemiological study was conducted on groupsof subjects,each consisting of 3 subjects from the Maotailiquor group consisting of 99 individuals and one from thenon-alcoholic control group consisting of 33 individuals.Liver biopsy was performed on 23 volunteers from GuizhouMaotai Distillery who had a constant and long history ofdrinking Maotai liquor.Experimental histopathological studywas conducted as follows:sixty male Wistar rats weredivided into 3 groups randomly and fed with Maotai liquor,ordinary white wine,and physiological saline respectivelyfor a period of 8 and 12 weeks.The rats were sacrificed inbatches,then serum ALT,AST,TBil,and AKP weremeasured.Rat livers were harvested to measure the liverindexes,GSH,and MDA.Histopathological examinationswere also performed.Another eighty mice were randomlydivided into 4 groups and fed with Maotai(at differentdosages of 10 ml·kg~(-1)and 20 ml·kg~(-1)),ethanol,andphysiological saline.The animals were sacrificed after 4weeks and serum ALT was determined.Then the livers wereharvested and liver indexes and MDA were measured.RESULTS:The incidence rate of hepatic symptoms,splenomegaly,liver function impairment,reversal ofAlbumin/Globulin and increased diameter of portal veins inthe Maotai liquor group were 1.0 %(1/99),1.0 %(1/99),1.0%(1/99),1.0 %(1/99),0(0/99)and 0(0/99),0(0/99),0(0/99),0(0/99),0(0/99),respectively.There was no significantdifference between the Maotai group and the non-alcoholiccontrol group(P>0.05).Various degree of fatty infiltrationof hepatocytes was found in the 23 volunteers receiving liverbiopsy,but there was no obvious hepatic fibrosis orcirrhosis.A comparison was made between the Maotailiquor group and the ordinary white wine group.It wasfound that hepatic MDA in rats and mice were 0.33±0.10and 0.49±0.23 respectively in Maotai group and 0.61±0.22and 0.66±0.32 in the ordinary white wine group;MDA hadan obvious decrease in the Maotai liquor group(P<0.05); hepatic GSH were 0.12 mg·g~(-1)±0.06 mg·g~(-1)in rats of theMaotai liquor group and(0.08±0.02)mg·g~(-1)in white winegroup,it was obviously increased in the Maotai liquor group(P<0.05).After the 20 rats had been fed with ordinarywhite wine for 8 weeks consecutively,disarrangedhepatocyte cords,fatty infiltration of hepatocytas,andfibrous septa of varying widths due to hepatic connectivetissues proliferation were observed;after 12 weeks,thefibrous tissue proliferation continued and early cirrhosisappeared.Compared with the ordinary white wine group,fatty infiltration was observed in the 8-week and 12-weekgroups,but no necrosis or fibrosis or cirrhosis was found inthe Maotai liquor group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION; Maotai liquor may cause fiver but not hepatic fibrosis peroxidation or cirrhosis, and it can strengthen lipid peroxidation in the liver AIM: To explore the relevance of Maotai liquor and liver disease. METHODS: Epidemiological study was conducted on groups of subjects, each consisting of 3 subjects from the Maotailiquor group consisting of 99 individuals and one from thenon-alcoholic control group consisting of 33 individuals. Liver biopsy was performed on 23 volunteers from GuizhouMaotai Distillery who had a constant and long history ofdrinking Maotai liquor. Experimental histopathological studywas conducted as follows: sixty male Wistar rats weredivided into 3 groups randomly and fed with Maotai liquor, ordinary white wine, and physiological saline respectivelyfor a period of 8 and 12 weeks.The rats were sacrificed inbatches, then serum ALT, AST, TBil, and AKP weremeasured.Rat livers were harvested to measure the liver index, GSH, and MDA.Histopathological examinationswere also performed. Another eighty mice were randomlydivided into 4 groups and fed with Maotai (differentdosages of 10 ml · kg -1 and 20 ml · kg -1), ethanol, andphy siological saline.The animals were sacrificed after 4 weeks and serum ALTwas determined.Then the livers wereharvested and liver indexes and MDA were measured.RESULTS: The incidence rate of hepatic symptoms, splenomegaly, liver function impairment, reversal ofAlbumin / Globulin and increased diameter of portal veins inthe Maitai liquor groups were 1.0% (1/99), 1.0% (1/99), 1.0% (1/99), 1.0% (1/99), 0 (0/99) 99), 0 (0/99), 0 (0/99), 0 (0/99), 0 (0/99), respectively. There was no significant difference between the Maotai group and the non-alcoholic control group (P> 0.05) .Various degree of fatty infiltration of hepatocytes was found in the 23 volunteers receiving liver biopsy, but there was no obvious hepatic fibrosis orcirrhosis. A comparison was made between the Maotailiquor group and the ordinary white wine group. It was found that hepatic MDA in rats and mice were 0.33 ± 0.10 and 0.49 ± 0.23 respectively in Maotai group and 0.61 ± 0.22 and 0.66 ± 0.32 in the ordinary white wine group; MDA hadan obvious decrease in th e Maotai liquor group (P <0.05); hepatic GSH were 0.12 mg · g -1 ± 0.06 mg · g -1 in rats of the Maitai liquor group and (0.08 ± 0.02) mg · g -1 ) in white winegroup, it was obviously increased in the Maotai liquor group (P <0.05) .After the 20 rats had been fed ordinary paraffin wine for 8 weeks consecutively, disarrangedhepatocyte cords, fatty infiltration of hepatocytas, andfibrous septa of varying widths due to After 12 weeks, the fibrous tissue proliferation continued and early cirrhosisappeared. Compared with the ordinary white wine group, fatty infiltration was observed in the 8-week and 12-weekgroups, but no necrosis or fibrosis or cirrhosis was found inthe Maotai liquor may cause fiver but not hepatic fibrosis peroxidation or cirrhosis, and it can strengthening lipid peroxidation in the liver