Effect of diethyl ether on phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in hamster organs.

The effect of diethyl ether anesthesia on phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in hamster organs was investigated. Ether administration did not affect the incorporation of radioactive choline into phosphatidylcholine in the liver, heart, lung, brain and spleen. A significant (29%) decrease in the labeling of phosphatidylcholine was detected in the kidney of ether-treated hamsters. Reduction in phosphatidylcholine labeling was not due to a diminished radioactive choline uptake but a decrease in the conversion of phosphocholine to CDP-choline. The accumulation of labeled phosphocholine was caused by the translocation of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase from microsomal (more-active) form to cytosolic (less-active) form. Ether administration appears to modulate the cytidylyltransferase in hamster kidney differently than that in other hamster organs.