Aim: to comparatively estimate the nature and direction of alcohol-induced changes of vascular endothelial growth factor in the experiment and in the clinic. Materials and methods. The experimental part of the research was performed on 50 outbred mature rats (15 females and 15 males exposed to alcohol intoxication for 30 days, and 10 females and 10 males formed a control group). The average age of males was 38 (37.25–39) weeks, females - 40.5 (40-42.5) weeks. The body weight of females was 340 (329.5–345.5) g, males – 469 (464.5–474.25) g. After fixation, the control group animals were injected with intragastrically sterile 0.9% aqueous sodium chloride solution, the rest of the animals – 40% ethanol daily at the rate of 10 ml / kg, so that the animals reached a mild degree of intoxication. Clinical part of the research included 60 young patients: 30 males and 30 females, mean age was 35,97 (34,00-40,00) in females and 37,5 (34,00-41,00) in males, who were admitted to the narcological hospital for treatment of intoxication with diagnosed alcohol use disorder. The serum concentration of VEGF-A was evaluated in the blood serum of the studied patients and animals. Results. Alcohol intoxication caused an increase of serum concentration of VEGF-A in both animals and patients in comparison with control groups. The changes were unidirectional with no significant gender differences. Conclusion. The analysis of the experimental-clinical comparison of alcohol-induced changes in the serum content of VEGF-A indicates the unidirectional nature of the biological (angiogenic) effect in the form of VEGF-A expression under the action of ethanol. In the clinical interpretation of the physiological or pathological expression of angiogenesis, accompanied by an increase in the serum concentration of VEGF-A, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the pathological process.

The aim of the study is to reveal the ethanol effects on the expression of hypoxia-associated factors (HIF-1α, VEGF-A) and structural changes in cardiomyocytes of healthy rats. Materials and methods. Ethanol-induced structural changes in cardiomyocytes were studied in 60 outbred mature rats. Control animals were intragastrically injected with sterile 0.9% saline, experimental animals – with 40 % ethanol. Ethanol exposure on myocardium lasted 4 and 8 days. Morphological study of the heart was carried out after decapitation preceded by ether anesthesia. PCR tests were used to determine mRNA expression of HIF-1α and VEGF-A genes from the left ventricle and serum concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor. Morphological studies of the left ventricle myocardium were carried out on histological sections using light microscopy. Results. A short ethanol exposure was accompanied by fatty and granular cytoplasm degeneration of cardiomyocytes with erythrocyte stasis in capillaries, arterioles and venules. VEGF-A serum concentration in control rats was lower if compared with ethanol-induced rats. Gender differences to ethanol response were revealed, in particular, a more pronounced HIF-1α and VEGF-A mRNA expression in females compared to males on the background of 4-day ethanol exposure, which correlated with VEGF-A level in blood serum. 8-day alcohol exposure was accompanied by an increase in VEGF-A mRNA expression in both female and male rats. Conclusion. Ethanol exposure causes activation of HIF-1α and VEGF-A transcription factors in cardiomyocytes of rats. It can be regarded as a mechanism of urgent adaptation without the development of pronounced structural maladaptive changes of the myocardium.