Changes associated with the production of fatty livers by white phosphorus and by ethanol in the rat

Abstract

The administration of white phosphorus to female rats produced, at 24 hours a rise in the amount of esterified fatty acid in the liver and large falls in the mean concentrations of cholesterol, phospholipid and esterified fatty acid in the plasma. Two hours after the administration of white phosphorus the incorporation of injected DL-[I-14C]leucine into the liver and plasma proteins was markedly reduced, whereas the incorporations of [32P]orthophosphate and of sodium [I-14C]-acetate into the liver and plasma phospholipid and free cholesterol respectively were not significantly changed. Ethanol increased the liver triglyceride concentration at 14 hours to almost twice that of control rats. Plasma cholesterol, phospholipid and esterified fatty acid concentrations were not significantly changed. Ethanol did not affect the incorporation of DL-[I-14C]leucine into the liver and plasma proteins at either 2.5 or 14 hours after its administration. The incorporation of [32p]-orthophosphate into the plasma and liver phospholipids was increased at 16 hours.