title: Comparative effects of chronic ethanol consumption on the properties of mitochondria from rat brain and liver.
abstract: The effects of chronic alcohol consumption on biochemical properties of mitochondria isolated from liver and brain were compared in rats. As has been found in previous studies (reviewed in Thayer WS: Ann NY Acad Sci 492: 193-206, 1987) in liver, ethanol consumption led to a 41% decrease in active phosphorylating (state 3) respiration and a 25% decrease in resting (state 4) respiration. These changes resulted in a 23% decrease in the respiratory control ratio (ratio of respiration rate in state 3 to that in state 4). These effects were associated with a 40% decrease in functional cytochrome oxidase content, determined spectrophotometrically as heme aa3. By contrast, in brain mitochondria isolated from the same rats, ethanol consumption did not result in any significant changes in respiration rates, respiratory control ratio, or cytochrome contents. The findings demonstrate a differential pathobiologic response of brain and liver mitochondria to chronic ethanol consumption. Since the liver is predominant in metabolism of ingested ethanol, the findings of this study suggest that the deleterious effects of chronic alcohol consumption on the structure and function of liver mitochondria may be related to ethanol metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, Hahnemann University, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Thayer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rottenberg
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000502:physiology; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D003580:Cytochromes / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D003580:Cytochromes; D000431:Ethanol; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases