Ethanol alters angiotensin II stimulated mitogen activated protein kinase in hepatocytes: agonist selectivity and ethanol metabolic independence.

Angiotensin II activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (p42 and p44) in rat hepatocytes exposed to ethanol and the relevance of ethanol metabolism on this activation was investigated. Hepatocytes, isolated from rat liver, were treated with or without ethanol for 24 h. Angiotensin II, vasopressin, insulin, serum and epinephrine significantly increased hepatocyte MAPK activity. Platelet activating factor (PAF), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) had little effect on MAPK activation. Interestingly, among the above agonists, which activated hepatocyte MAPK, ethanol exposure potentiated only angiotensin II and epinephrine-stimulated MAPK. Thus, potentiation of MAPK by ethanol exhibited agonist selectivity. In contrast to several other cells, there was prevalence of p42 over p44 MAPK band in hepatocytes. Angiotensin II treatment caused a rapid activation (peak 5 min) of MAPK followed by a decrease to basal levels in 30 min. Exposure with 100 mM ethanol potentiated the angiotensin II stimulated MAPK activity. This potentiation was partially blocked by pertussis toxin suggesting it to be a G-protein-dependent event. Treatment of the hepatocytes with pyrazole (an inhibitor of ethanol metabolism) or acetaldehyde (an ethanol metabolite) had no effect on potentiation. Thus, ethanol potentiation of hepatocyte MAPK is agonist-selective and independent of ethanol metabolism.