HEPATIC LIPOGENESIS AND MOBILIZATION OF PERIPHERAL FATS IN THE FORMATION OF ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER

Abstract

Biochemical mechanisms underlying the development of alcoholic fatty liver were investigated. Acute ethanol (EtOH) administration for 3 days by an inhalation method, and continuous EtOH treatments by feeding with liquid diet or drinking water containing EtOH induced a significant increase of hepatic triglycerides (TG). A small but significant increase of TG was also observed in the blood serum. Although hepatic acetyl CoA carboxylase activity, measured in the presence and absence of citrate, was not altered by either acute or chronic EtOH administrations, fatty acid synthetase and malic enzyme activities in the liver were increased by continuous EtOH administration, but not in the acutely EtOH-treated animals. The incorporations of [¹⁴C]palmitate and [¹⁴C]acetate into hepatic RG were also increased significantly in animals treated continuously with EtOH. The lipoprotein lipase activity in adipose tissues was activated by both acute and continuous EtOH treatments, whereas lipase activity in adipose tissues and the epinephrine-stimulated and cyclic AMP-mediated release of free fatty acid (FFA) from this tissue were not altered by these treatments. These results indicate that acute alcoholic fatty liver is caused mostly by the increased mobilization of FFA from peripheral adipose tissues via the activation of lipoprotein lipase, whereas alcoholic fatty liver induced by continuous EtOH administration involves the increased synthesis of FFA due to the activation of fatty acid synthetase and malic enzyme in the liver in addition to the increased mobilization of peripheral FFA.