Protein synthesis in rat liver after chronic ethanol treatment

Abstract

170 pm) was constructed which could be placed in either region (300 500 pm in diameter) for the determination of pyridine nucleotide fluorescence (366 + 450 nm). When the 0s tension was decreased by switching to buffer saturated with a 95% Ns and 5% CO2 gas mixture, periportal and pericentral pyridine nucleotide systems became reduced at different inflow PO2 values (Table 1). In livers from control and alcohol-treated rats, pyridine nucleotides in the pericentral region were reduced at inflow PO2 values about 70 to 110 Torr greater than those in the periportal region. However, treatment with alcohol caused pyridine nucleotides in both periportal and pericentral regions to be reduced at inflow PO2 values 120 to 160 Torr higher than controls (Table 1). Under these conditions, oxygen uptake of the perfused liver of both groups was similar (105 to 112 pmoles/g per hour). These data provide direct physical evidence that alcohol-treated liver tissue is more susceptible to tissue anoxia in both periportal and pericentral regions. At least in phenobarbital-treated rats, this phenomena appears not to be due to an increase in oxygen uptake by the liver. These studies further demonstrate that the microlight guide can readily be applied to studies of intralobular metabolic compartment&ion.