THE EFFECT OF ETHANOL ON FATTY ACID METABOLISM; STIMULATION OF HEPATIC FATTY ACID SYNTHESIS IN VITRO*

Abstract

Rat liver slices were incubated with various concentrations of c14-labeled and unlabeled ethanol, acetate, glucose, fructose and sorbitol, and the incorporation of the isotope into fatty acids and CO2 was determined. The total fatty acid content of liver slices was significantly higher when incubated with ethanol than with glucose or acetate. Moreover, the incorporation of acetate-C14 into fatty acids of liver slices was stimulated by ethanol and sorbitol, as compared to acetate, glucose and fructose. This stimulatory effect is believed to be related to excess reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide (DPNH) formed on oxidation of ethanol and sorbitol. The reduced DPN/DPNH ratio results in a shift in incorporation of acetate-C14 towards fatty acid synthesis, with concomitant reduction of C14O2 formation.