title: Gender-related effects of chronic ethanol ingestion on rat hepatic acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase.
abstract: The influence of chronic ethanol ingestion on hepatic acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase activity was investigated to determine the relationship between alcohol intake and cholesterol ester accumulation. Rats were given nutritionally complete liquid diets supplemented with 6.3% ethanol or an isocaloric equivalent of dextrin-maltose for 5 weeks. During this period, the hepatic acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase activity of ethanol-fed male rats remained constant, whereas the same activity in pair-fed controls as well as chow-fed rats exhibited a 30% decrease in activity. Unlike alcohol-fed male rats, the hepatic acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase activity of female rats decreased by approximately 30% by the fifth week of ethanol ingestion. Despite the fact that the gender of the animals led to disparate levels of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase activity in response to ethanol ingestion, similar levels of cholesteryl ester accumulation were observed. The altered levels of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase activity caused no significant change in the cholesterol concentration, cholesterol/phospholipid ratio, phospholipid fatty acid composition, or the membrane fluidity of the hepatic microsomes. We conclude that the altered hepatic acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase activity of ethanol-fed female rats cannot be directly responsible for ethanol-induced accumulation of cholesteryl esters.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012737:Sex Factors; D002785:Sterol O-Acyltransferase / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D000431:Ethanol; D002785:Sterol O-Acyltransferase