Alcohol
Volume 25, Issue 2 , Pages 99-105, October 2001

Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on prostaglandin metabolism and microsomal membranes in alcoholic fatty liver

  • Oxana Ya. Lukivskaya

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences, 230017 Grodno, Belarus
    • ,
  • Alexandr A. Maskevich

      Affiliations

    • Department of Spectroscopy, Grodno State University, 230001 Grodno, Belarus
    • ,
  • Vyacheslav U. Buko

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences, 230017 Grodno, Belarus
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Experimental Hepatology, Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences, BLK-50, 230017 Grodno, Belarus. Tel.: +375-152-338411; fax: +375-152-338411

Received 13 March 2001; received in revised form 21 May 2001; accepted 25 June 2001.

Abstract 

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on prostaglandin and fatty acid metabolism and the possible relation of these substances to the development of alcoholic fatty liver in rats. The effects of UDCA (40 mg/kg/day, 30 days) were studied in rats pair-fed a high-fat diet (52% of calories as fat) with daily ethanol (4 g/kg/day, 30 days) intragastric intubation. The livers of ethanol-treated animals were characterized by fatty dystrophy. Liver triglyceride and cholesterol ester contents and the activities of serum marker enzymes, alanine aminotransferase and γ-glutamyltransferase, were significantly increased. Ethanol enhanced phosphoinositol and sphingomyelin content in liver microsomes and lowered prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentration in the liver. An increase in the percentage of monoenoic fatty acids and a decrease in the n-6 acid family in liver phospholipids, linoleoyl-CoA desaturase, and PGE2 synthase activities in liver microsomes were observed in ethanol-treated rats. Treatment with UDCA improved liver morphologic characteristics, decreased triglyceride and cholesterol ester contents, increased the PGE2 level, and normalized linoleoyl-CoA desaturase and PGE2 synthase activities, as well as phospholipid and fatty acid patterns in the liver. The activities of the serum marker enzymes were decreased in the ethanol- and UDCA-treated group. Ursodeoxycholic acid lowered the viscosity of the microsomal membrane, as assessed by both fluorescence probe techniques and the saturated/unsaturated fatty acid ratio. We propose that the hepatoprotective effect of UDCA in alcoholic fatty liver is related to the stabilization of microsomal membranes, the prevention of a decrease in essential fatty acids and PGE2 in the liver, and, probably, an improvement in biochemical processes controlled by PGE2.

Keywords: Alcohol, Δ6-Desaturase, Fatty acids, Fatty liver, Microsomal membranes, Prostaglandins, Ursodeoxycholic acid

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

PII: S0741-8329(01)00171-9

Alcohol
Volume 25, Issue 2 , Pages 99-105, October 2001

Article Tools