Structural and biotransformational membrane changes in the liver and intestine during chronic ethanol administration.

The binding of a fluorescent probe 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulphonic acid (1,8-ANS) to liver microsomal membranes was markedly increased after chronic ethanol administration while the binding of a non-ionised probe phenylnaphthylamine (PNA) was not altered. The increase in 1,8-ANS binding is in accordance with the simultaneous increase of the ethoxycoumarin O-de-ethylase activity and cytochrome P-450 concentration. Also the intestinal ethyoxycoumarin O-de-ethylase activity and cytochrome P-450 concentration were increased. No changes in the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase or UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities were found. The chronic ehtanol administration increased the phospholipid amount in the liver microsomes and altered the fatty acid composition of microsomal phospholipids by decreasing the amount of oleic acid and increasing linoleic acid proportion. The data suggest that chronic ethanol administration may effect the biotransformation enzyme activities by changing the structural properties of the membranes as well as increasing the cytochrome P-450 concentration.