Metabolism of ethanol and acetaldehyde in parenchymal and non-parenchymal rat liver cells

Abstract

Suspensions of isolated parenchymal (P) and non-parenchymal (NP) cells were prepared by collagenase perfusion followed by centrifugation of the primary cell suspension. Suspensions of P cells were able to metabolize ethanol (8–16 nmoles/min/10 6 viable cells) while NP cells did not metabolize ethanol at all. Acetaldehyde was metabolized in P-cell suspensions at rates ranging from 14 to 20 nmoles/min/10 6 viable cells. Some acetaldehyde metabolism also occurred in NP-cell suspensions (0.18–0.33 nmoles/min/10 6 viable cells). In accordance with these studies on ethanol and acetaldehyde metabolism we found alcohol dehydrogenase activity only in homogenates of P cells, and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in homogenates of P cells was 20 times higher per cell than in homogenates of NP cells. It was concluded that the P cells of rat liver are responsible for ethanol metabolism and probably also responsible for most, if not all metabolism of acetaldehyde arising from ethanol oxidation. Biochemical effects which are consequences of ethanol metabolism are probably not found in NP cells.