Effects of moderate chronic ethanol consumption on rat liver mitochondrial functions.
The biochemical consequences of moderate chronic ethanol ingestion has been scarcely investigated in spite of the fact that most of the human population drinks ethanol on a moderate basis. This paper describes some metabolic effects produced by moderate ethanol consumption. The substitution of drinking water in rats for a 10% ethanol solution during 4 weeks resulted in: a) a decrease of blood urea and citrulline synthesis in liver mitochondria; b) a slight inhibition in state 3 and state 4 respiration either with glutamate-malate as substrates or succinate as substrate; c) no change in ADP/O ratio with succinate but slight increase with glutamate-malate; d) a reduction of the cytochrome oxidase activity and cytochromes a+a3 content; e) a 42% increase in the succinate dehydrogenase activity and a small but constant increase in the Vmax (no change in the Km) of the adenine nucleotide translocase activity in liver mitochondria. These results show that even moderate, but continuous ethanol ingestion, produces metabolic responses that must be carefully evaluated to define health risk in larger human groups.
Zentella de Piña
M
M
Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
Villalobos-Molina
R
R
Saavedra-Molina
A
A
Riveros-Rosas
H
H
Piña
E
E
D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002956:Citrulline / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017936:Cytochrome a Group; D003580:Cytochromes / Q000378:metabolism; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D017936:Cytochrome a Group; D003580:Cytochromes; D002956:Citrulline; D000431:Ethanol; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D014508:Urea; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases