Effects of ethanol feeding on hepatic collagen synthesis and degradation in rats.
After 4 weeks of ethanol feeding, collagen synthesis and its degradation system in the liver were investigated in male rats. The ethanol-fed rats had an increased hepatic protein content and a depleted hepatic reduced glutathione content. The content of hepatic hydroxyproline was not changed, however, the synthesis of protein-bound hydroxyproline was significantly increased, the latter was significantly correlated with hepatic protein content and inversely with hepatic reduced glutathione content. The synthesis of protein-bound proline was also increased and significantly correlated with hepatic protein content. Although hepatic collagenase activity was not change, hepatic collagenolytic cathepsin activity was significantly increased, and the latter had a significant relationship to the synthesis of protein-bound hydroxyproline. These results suggest that in the early stage of ethanol feeding, hepatic collagen synthesis is augmented in parallel with general protein synthesis and the newly-synthesized collagen is efficiently removed by collagen degrading system, at least, partly by collagenolytic cathepsins.
D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000431:Ethanol; D003094:Collagen; D005978:Glutathione; D006909:Hydroxyproline