Ethanol Effects on Methionine Metabolism in Rat Liver

Abstract

Summary

Ethanol administration, in either chronic feeding or acute experiments, increased the level of methionine-activating enzyme in rat liver. The increase in methionine-activating enzyme did not occur in animals treated with puromycin or actinomycin D. The simultaneous administration of methionine or choline failed to inhibit this effect of ethanol. Prolonged ethanol feeding also led to an increase in hepatic cystathionase while acute intoxication resulted in a balanced increment in cystathionine synthase and betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase. We discussed the possible relationship of these results to the increased lipotrope requirement which attends alcohol consumption in rats.