Experiment 2 tested the effect on TG levels of a meal test with HFD vs. LFD in combination with chronic drinking of ethanol vs. water. Rats were trained to consume 9% ethanol with water and chow available or were maintained on water and chow alone. They were then matched for weight and ethanol consumption and divided into 4 groups as follows: 1) HFD plus chronic ethanol and water (n = 6); 2) HFD plus only water (n = 4); 3) LFD plus chronic ethanol and water (n = 5); and 4) LFD plus only water (n = 4). After the rats were acclimated to their assigned diet with 1 h of exposure for each of 6 days, they were tested for 1 h with 25 kcal of the diet, with chow removed, immediately prior to daily ethanol access. Ethanol and water intake were measured 2 h after the end of the test meal. Trunk blood from rats that consumed at least 16 kcal of the meal was then collected for measurements of TG levels. At this time, the ethanol-drinking rats had 26 days of access to ethanol.
