title: Alterations in growth rate and cell cycle kinetics of rat liver tumor cells cultured in ethanol-containing medium. In vitro model of proliferative restriction in response to ethanol exposure.
abstract: Mechanisms related to the growth suppressive effect of acute ethanol exposure on liver cells were investigated using an established line of ethanol-sensitive rat hepatic tumor cells (32IIIA) and recently developed cytochemical methods for analysis of hepatocyte cell cycle kinetics. Exposure of exponentially growing 32IIIA cells to ethyl alcohol (range 10-100 mM in the growth medium) for a period of 3 days resulted in concentration-dependent decreases (4-25%) in final population density and increases (18-35%) in mean population doubling time compared to untreated cells. Viability was unaffected by ethanol exposure in the concentrations indicated and for the duration period utilized, approximating 94% under all experimental conditions. Multiparametric flow cytometric analysis revealed significant ethanol-associated differences in specific growth parameters and growth state compartments of 32IIIA hepatic tumor cell populations. Most prominent was an ethanol-associated and concentration-dependent (a) increase in the fraction of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, (b) increase in the coefficient of variation in the G1 DNA content measurement, and (c) accumulation (in the G1 phase) of cells with a very low mean RNA content. Increases in each of these cytochemically-defined parameters reflected increasing levels of ethanol in the growth medium. This study indicates that the effects of ethanol on cultured cells of hepatic origin are quite complex. It is concluded that the inhibition of proliferation observed during acute ethanol exposure of liver-derived 32IIIA cells in vitro is due to an accumulation of cells in the G1 compartment.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol