Cryptic adenosine triphosphatase activities in plasma membranes of CCl4-cirrhotic rats. Its modulation by changes in cholesterol/phospholipid ratios.

The activities of Na+,K+-, and Ca2+-ATPases were determined in plasma membranes obtained from livers of rats treated acutely and chronically with CCl4. Twenty-four hours after a single oral dose of CCl4 the ATPases decreased below 50% of control values. The activity of Ca2+-ATPase returned to normal after 4 days, and Na+,K+-ATPase activity returned to normal values after 12 days. One week after initiation of the chronic intraperitoneal treatment with CCl4, the Na,K+-ATPase decreased to 40% of control values and continued to decrease further until reaching values below 1%. Ca2+-ATPase followed a pattern similar to that obtained with Na+,K+-ATPase, except that the decrease was not as severe. Colchicine treatment prevented the modifications in ATPases when given simultaneously with CCl4 and reverted the alterations in ATPase activities of the CCl4-cirrhotic animals. Because ATPases are known to be modulated by the lipid composition of the membrane, we also determined the cholesterol to phospholipid ratio in all the isolated membranes. The ratios were increased in membranes with low ATPase activity due to an increase in the total concentration of cholesterol. Plasma membranes of cirrhotic rats treated with colchicine showed a low concentration of cholesterol, a decreased cholesterol to phospholipid ratio, and Na+,K+-ATPase activity was almost normal. When plasma membranes of cirrhotic rats were fused with phosphatidyl serine-containing liposomes, the cholesterol to phospholipid ratio decreased and the ATPase activity increased. The ATPase activity of normal plasma membranes decreased below 20% of control values when enriched with cholesterol. Our results suggest that the decrease in the plasma membrane Na+,K+-ATPase activity of the cirrhotic rat is due in part to an increase in its cholesterol concentration and in the cholesterol to phospholipid ratio.