The involvement of glucocorticoids in regulating the activity of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase and the synthesis of triacylglycerols in the liver. Effects of feeding rats with glucose, sorbitol, fructose, glycerol and ethanol.

Feeding rats with sorbitol, fructose, glycerol and ethanol increases the concentration of serum corticosterone without significantly altering the concentration of insulin. This increase appears to be partly responsible for the increases in the hepatic activity of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (compared with rats fed glucose or 0.9% NaCl) that has been reported [Sturton, Pritchard, Han & Brindley (1978) Biochem. J. 174, 667--670] and the enhanced capacity of the liver to synthesize triacylglycerols. The ethanol-induced increase in phosphohydrolase activity was largely, but not completely, prevented by adrenalectomy.