[The expression of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase mRNA regulated by alcohol].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether ethanol and isopentanol could modulate the drug metabolism by regulating uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) expression in rat livers and cultured rat hepatocytes.


METHODS
Rat livers and primary rat hepatocyte cultures have been used to determine the mRNA levels of five UGT isoenzymes following treatment with ethanol and isopentanol.


RESULTS
Following treatment with alcohol in rats, UGT1A1 mRNA and UGT1A5 mRNA were increased to a mean of 177% and 166% of control, respectively. The mRNA levels of UGT2B1 and UGT2B3 were also increased in alcohol-treated rats to 178% and 132% of control, respectively. Incubation of hepatocytes with ethanol and isopentanol significantly increased the mRNA expression of UGT1A1, UGT1A5, UGT2B1 and UGT2B3 mRNA.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of UGT can be regulated by ethanol and isopentanol. As a result, chronic alcohol consumption may modify the metabolism of numerous endogenous and exogenous compounds, in particular some drugs, which are substrates of these UGT isoenzymes.
Li
Y
Y
Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Medical University, Jinan 250012, China.
Wang
K
K
Yu
T
T
Zhao
B
B
Li
J
J
Zhang
S
S
Zhao
X
X
D000818:Animals; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D000439:Pentanols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D007527:Isoenzymes; D000439:Pentanols; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000431:Ethanol; C029683:isopentyl alcohol; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase