Abstract
This chapter discusses the actions of ethanol metabolism on fatty acid synthesis in the liver. In hepatocytes in a metabolic state favoring a high rate of lipogenesis, the conversion of ethanol to acetaldehyde in the cytosol inhibits fatty acid synthesis from glucose by decreasing the pyruvate supply. The primary effect of β-hydroxybutyrate on fatty acid synthesis, mediated by the NADH produced, is alteration in the differential flow of citrate carbon into the competing pathways of oxidation through the citric acid cycle in the mitochondria and transport to the cytosol for fatty acid synthesis. An increase in cytosolic citrate could increase the rate of fatty acid synthesis in two ways. Besides increasing the substrate concentration for ATP citrate lyase, the increase in citrate could positively modify the activity of acetyl CoA carboxylase. It is likely that acetaldehyde elevates fatty acid synthesis by a similar mechanism, although acetaldehyde might in addition provide some increase in the carbon supply.
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