Stimulatory effects of ethanol on amino acid transport by rat fetal hepatocytes

✍ Scribed by David W. Heitman; Teri A. Frosto; Steven Schenker; George I. Henderson

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 908 KB
• Volume: 7
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-9139
• DOI: 10.1002/hep.1840070216

✦ Synopsis

Previoue etpdiee have indicated that acute, and especially ehroaic, maternal ethanol consumption can depram pkeemtal uptake of various amino acids. Since the febl d itself repmeents a m n d barrier to nutrients, one whit41 may be altered by ethanol ex-, the effect. of dbrnol on amino acid net uptake by rat fetal was ddremed. The preeent study determi.ad #.t ethanol stimulated amino acid net uptake by fetal hrgtocytee grown in monolayer culture. Fetal livm cab weme grown in custom Willinma' E medium (withsat L -a r g h i n e and with L-ornithine) and exposed toepi&mmlgrowthfactor (0,1,2 or 5 ngper ml) and dLrol(1.7 f 0.1 or 3.9 f 0.2 mg per ml). Addition of esLarsl(3.9 mg per ml) to the culture medium compbtdy TDLecLed -able cell replication during a 48-hr~psriod.Fetalbepatocytesexpocedtoethono1 acerued both protein and water in a parallel fashion, both in exum~ of that by control cells. Ethanol (1.7 and acid net by f d hepatocytea (p < 0.05). Efflux was set .ilieoted (p > 0.06). The onset of this dgdfhmt sthmddon o f m t PptaLe was progressive and required in emmu ei 6 Br of contact with ethanol. This ethanol stimdden of u-uminohbutyric acid net uptake per-far at leaet 24 hr following ethanol withdrawal. The ampomnt(s) of a-aminoiaobutyrie acid net uptake tstimahtul by ethanol was independent of extrpcellular Nd. h pdditson, ethanol stimulated net uptake of two other marker Praiw acids, methyl-a-aminoiaobatyric acid and cyelokmch (54 and 128%, respectively, p < 0.66). I n dlu))~~~uy, these data suggest: (i) ethanol can stimulmb tbe net uptake of amino acids by fetal hepatoc-wLIle no6 afhcthg efflux; (ii) this effect requims an expamre w e d in exof 6 hr and ie not rapidly rewexdbb, a d (iv) ethanol expowve (3.9 mg per ml) tdrllg prevemts fetal hepatocyte replication and causes a 3to 4-Md increase (accumulation) in cellular protein and water. 3.8 p ~r d) fm 48 hr ethulated a-aminohbutyric