Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.6.1.1 (aspartate aminotransferase)
21,665 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Male rats provided with a 5 or 15% (v/v) ethanol solution as the sole source of fluid consumed ethanol at a rate of 11.4 or 24.9% of total calories (4.2 or 8.3 g/kg daily). After ethanol consumption lasting 1, 2 and 3 weeks the hepatotoxicity of CCl4 (0.1 ml/kg i.p.) was elevated by determination of serum activities of glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase ( GPT), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) and histological investigations. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver damage was significantly greater in rats provided with ethanol than in the tap-water consuming controls. This potentiation of CCl4 hepatotoxicicty was fully developed already after a 1-week exposition to ethanol and was greater in the 15% than in the 5% ethanol group. Ethanol alone did not influence serum enzyme activities but increased microsomal aniline hydroxylation. There was, however, no clear-cut parallelism between potentiation of CCl4 hepatotoxicity and activation of aniline hydroxylation.
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PMID:Increased carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity after low-level ethanol consumption. 70

1. Isolated hepatocytes were used to establish the reasons for the accumulation of aspartate, previously observed when the isolated rat liver was perfused with ethanol in the presence of alanine or ammonium lactate. 2. The isolated cells did not form aspartate when incubated with alanine and ethanol, but much aspartate was formed on incubation with ammonium lactate and ethanol. 3. Urea was the main nitrogenous product on incubation with alanine, in contrast with the perfused liver, where major quantities of NH4+ are also formed. When the formation of urea was nullified by the addition of urease, alanine plus ethanol caused aspartate formation, indicating that aspartate formation depends on the presence of critical concentrations of NH4+. 4. The accumulated aspartate was present in the cytosol. Ethanol halved the content of 2-oxoglutarate in the cytosol and more than trebled that of glutamate in the mitochondria. 5. The findings support the assumption that 2-oxoglutarate formed by the mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase is not translocated to the cytosol in the presence of ethanol and NH4+, because it is rapidly converted into glutamate, the dehydrogenation of ethanol providing the required NADH. Aspartate, however, is translocated to the cytosol and accumulates there because of the lack of stoicheiometric amounts of oxoglutarate.
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PMID:The accumulation of aspartate in the presence of ethanol in rat liver. 120 Oct 7

Effect of ethanol on functional activity of isolated perfused rat liver was studied (rate of O2 utilization, absorption of bromosulpholeine from perfusate, bile formation); total activity and activity in supernatant of nine marker enzymes were also determined (malate dehydrogenase, beta-glucuronidase, arylsulphatases A and B, beta-galactosidase, beta-glucosidase, acetylesterase, glucoso-6-phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase). Activity of the enzymes was simultaneously studied in perfusate. Ethanol (0.5%) caused distinct impairement in functional activity of isolated liver; rate of bile formation and absorption of bromosulpholeine from perfusate were primarily altered. Degree of impairements in functional activity of liver tissue correlated with the concentration of ethanol in perfusate. In analysis of correlation between the total activity of the enzymes in liver tissue and their activity in supernatants and perfusate it was shown that the concentration (1%) of ethanol used did not produce damaye effect on plasma membranes and membranes of subcellular structures of hepatocytes, but, within certain limits, it displayed a stabilizing effect.
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PMID:[Effect of ethanol on stability of cell membranes in experiments using isolated liver]. 121 Jan 8

Endotoxin administration causes liver injury. Patients with alcoholic liver disease frequently have portal vein and systemic endotoxemia, and some investigators have suggested that endotoxin plays an etiologic role in alcoholic liver injury. Many of the metabolic effects of endotoxin are mediated by the cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF). It was the purpose of this study to determine whether TNF plays a role in ethanol-enhanced endotoxin liver injury. Rats were fed either a diet in which 36% of the calories were from ethanol or an isocaloric control diet. After 6 weeks, groups of 10 rats were intravenously injected with either saline, 1 mg/kg endotoxin, or 30 micrograms/kg of a prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) analogue + 1 mg/kg endotoxin 24 hr prior to sacrifice. Ethanol/endotoxin-treated rats had significantly higher liver enzyme levels (ALT: 1064 +/- 355 IU/liter, AST: 2024 +/- 515 IU/liter) compared with isocaloric/endotoxin controls (ALT: 237 +/- 54 IU/liter, AST: 602 +/- 80 IU/liter). Ethanol/endotoxin rats also had significantly higher peak serum TNF concentrations (992 +/- 200 units/ml) compared with isocaloric/endotoxin controls (344 +/- 96 units/ml). Pretreatment of ethanol/endotoxin rats with PGE1 caused significant attenuation of liver injury (ALT: 267 +/- 64 IU/liter, AST: 612 +/- 77 IU/liter) and a diminished serum TNF response. In contrast to chronic ethanol administration, acute gavage with 2 mg/kg ethanol (30% w/v) followed by intravenous injection of 2 mg/kg endotoxin produced significantly lower peak serum TNF concentrations (401 +/- 76 units/ml) than gavage with distilled water (1152 +/- 208 units/ml).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Tumor necrosis factor in alcohol enhanced endotoxin liver injury. 153 Jan 27

31P Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and 1H NMR imaging were used to examine the effect of short-term ethanol feeding on the rat testis. Weanling rats were pair-fed for 10 weeks either on ethanol containing liquid diet (36% ethanol of total calories) or a diet in which dextrimaltose was isocalorically substituted for the ethanol of the alcohol-containing diet. In vivo 31P NMR of the testes was used to determine the intratesticular pH and the relative concentrations of various phosphorus-containing metabolites. The integrity of the blood-testes barrier was evaluated using 1H NMR imaging following a gadolinium diethylene tetramine pentaacetic acid derivative (Gd-DTPA) administration as a vascular contrast agent. After the completion of NMR studies, the testis and the liver were freeze-clamped to allow for the assay of their adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) contents. Serum was assayed for its content of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alcohol and testosterone. Ethanol feeding resulted in the following: (a) a reduction in the body weight (p less than 0.05), (b) a reduction in the testicular phosphodiesters (PDE) PDE/ATP ratio (p less than 0.05), (c) an increased change in the testis image intensity difference between pre- and post-iv Gd-DTPA images, (c) a reduction in the testicular and hepatic content of ATP, and (d) increased serum levels of AST and ALT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Effect of short-term ethanol feeding on rat testes as assessed by 31P NMR spectroscopy, 1H NMR imaging, and biochemical methods. 178 76

Serum activities of alanine-aminotransferase (ALAT, EC 2.6.1.2), aspartate-aminotransferase (ASAT, EC 2.6.1.1), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, EC 1.1.1.27), and alkaline phosphatase (AP, EC 3.1.3.1) were increased significantly after a dose of 0.16 g/kg/b. w. (ip.) carbon tetrachloride (tetrachloromethane) in rats pretreated with 10% (v/v) ethanol for one and 10 weeks in comparison with water/carbon tetrachloride-treated animals. At the end of 30 and 52 weeks of ethanol consumption these levels were very slightly increased or not detectable. Ethanol treatment alone did not cause an increase in serum enzyme activities or histological liver damage, but caused a diminished intake of fluid and food and in some cases also a reduction of weight gain in the animal body. Significant decrease in body weight after carbon tetrachloride was more evident in rats pretreated with ethanol (1 week greater than 10 greater than or equal to 52 weeks) than in water drinking animals, the lethality caused by carbon tetrachloride was also higher after one and 10 weeks than after 30 to 52 weeks of ethanol pretreatment. The results indicate a decrease of carbon tetrachloride toxicity with increased duration of ethanol pretreatment. This phenomenon could be attributed to reduced sensibility to those alcohol effects which are responsible for increase of carbon tetrachloride toxicity.
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PMID:Influence of ethanol pretreatment of differing duration on toxic effects of carbon tetrachloride in rats. 208 Sep 8

Ethanol has profound effects on cellular function, causes hormonal imbalance and either directly or indirectly results in nutritional deficiencies. Together with genetic and environmental factors these metabolic changes eventually cause functional and structural damage to liver, heart, central nervous system and other organs. In order to prevent organ injury the early recognition of the alcoholic patient is important. The combination of physician interview, questionnaire and laboratory markers of ethanol abuse [MCV, GGT, AST and others] is useful for the diagnosis of alcoholism. Abstinence is the most important therapeutic measure. The treatment of organ damage has so far been symptomatic. Initial results of trials of specific treatment of alcoholic liver disease are encouraging.
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PMID:[Biological changes caused by ethanol: their sequelae and importance in the diagnosis of alcoholism]. 219 96

The present investigation examines the possibility that Cd and ethanol have a significant toxicological interaction. This examination was warranted as exposure to either chemical is known to compromise human health. Inasmuch as both chemicals affect the morphology, biochemistry, and physiology of liver, it seemed reasonable to consider liver as a possible site of interaction. Specifically, the hypothesis that ethanol alters the hepatotoxic action of Cd was evaluated. Accordingly, male rats were injected iv with hepatotoxic (3.0 mg/kg) or lethal (4.5 mg/kg) dosages of Cd, 24 hr after single-dose ethanol administration (7 g/kg, po). Cd-induced hepatotoxicity was assessed by measuring the activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and sorbitol dehydrogenase in serum collected 10 hr after Cd injection. Lethality was assessed by recording the number of survivors over a 7-day period. Prior exposure to ethanol substantially reduced the lethal and hepatotoxic properties of Cd. Two mechanisms were evaluated in an effort to explain ethanol-induced suppression of Cd hepatotoxicity. Ethanol pretreatment was postulated to: (1) enhance Cd excretion in bile thereby decreasing hepatic Cd content and/or (2) reduce the interaction between Cd and target sites in liver such as organelles and cytosolic high-molecular-weight (HMW) proteins. The first proposed mechanism was incorrect as the biliary excretion of Cd was nearly abolished and the concentration of Cd in whole liver increased (33%) as a result of ethanol exposure. The second proposed mechanism was a plausible explanation of ethanol-induced suppression of Cd hepatotoxicity because ethanol pretreatment decreased (approximately 60%) the content of Cd in nuclei, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum, and nearly eliminated the association of Cd with cytosolic HMW proteins. Reduction in the concentration of Cd in potential target sites of intoxication was caused by a metallothionein-promoted sequestration of Cd in cytosol.
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PMID:Ethanol decreases cadmium hepatotoxicity in rats: possible role of hepatic metallothionein induction. 226 92

The hepatotoxic properties of concurrent chronic oral ethanol ingestion and acute toluene inhalation were evaluated. Male rats were maintained on ethanol-containing or control liquid diets for 29 days. Animals of each group were subjected to five 20-min exposures to 10 000 ppm toluene with 30 min of room air inhalation between exposures on days 22, 24, 26, and 28 of liquid diet feeding. Some of the ethanol-fed animals were withdrawn from ethanol 14 h before exposure. Ethanol-withdrawn animals displayed an increased sensitivity to the narcotic action of toluene. Animals were sacrificed and assays performed on day 29. Stress markers (plasma corticosterone, free fatty acid, and glucose) were not affected by treatments. A modest elevation in plasma aspartate aminotransferase occurred in non-withdrawn animals receiving both ethanol and toluene. Ethanol-toluene exposure increased both relative liver weight and liver triglycerides. Toluene antagonized the hypertriglyceridemia associated with chronic ethanol ingestion. This study indicates that combined ethanol and toluene exposure has minor potential to induce acute liver injury, but results in altered deposition of hepatic triglycerides.
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PMID:The hepatotoxic potential of combined toluene-chronic ethanol exposure. 374 Nov 43

The effect of variable doses of ethanol on plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity was examined in male, atherosclerosis-susceptible squirrel monkeys over a 12-month period. Primates were divided into three groups: 1) Controls fed isocaloric liquid diet; 2) Low Ethanol monkeys given liquid diet with vodka substituted isocalorically for carbohydrate at 12% of calories; and 3) High Ethanol animals fed diet plus vodka at 24% of calories. There were no significant differences between the treatments in serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), a measure of liver function. However, plasma LCAT activity (% esterification/min) measured in vitro was significantly reduced in High Ethanol monkeys while cholesterol esterification was elevated in the Low Ethanol group and intermediate in Controls. Similarly, the in vivo appearance of radiolabeled cholesteryl ester in high density lipoproteins (HDL) following the intravenous injection of 3H mevalonolactone was highest in the Low Ethanol primates, intermediate in Controls and significantly lower in monkeys fed the high alcohol diet. In vitro measurement of LCAT enzyme efficiency was similar for the three groups while substrate efficiency was lower in the High Ethanol treatment. Although LCAT activator (apoprotein A-I) was not markedly altered by dietary ethanol and the concentration of LCAT substrates (HDL free cholesterol and phosphatidyl choline) was significantly elevated in the High Ethanol group, subtle modifications in substrate-product composition may account for the observed reduction in cholesterol esterification. These include potential substrate and/or product LCAT inhibition resulting from increased concentrations of plasma free cholesterol, HDL lysophosphatidyl choline, and higher HDL2/HDL3 subfraction ratios, as well as alterations in HDL phospholipid fatty acid profiles in the High Ethanol group. Results from this study provide the first evidence of an anomalous enhancement in LCAT activity in nonhuman primates fed ethanol at 12% of calories and a marked depression in cholesterol esterification at the 24% dose which may be due to substrate alterations and product inhibition prior to overt biochemical evidence of liver dysfunction.
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PMID:Effect of ethanol on lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity. 399 6


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