Effect of ethanol intake on lipoprotein lipase activity in rat heart

We examined the effects of the in vivo administration of ethanol on lipolytic activities assayed in rat post-heparin heart effluents, that hydrolyse tri-, di- and monoacylglycerol. Properties of triacylglycerol lipase (TAGL) are typical of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) whereas diacylglycerol (DAGL) and monoacylglycerol (MAGL) lipase activities hydrolyse sequentially the products of LPL action. After 15 days of ethanol intake, TAGL, DAGL and MAGL activities in post-heparin heart effluents were decreased respectively by 25, 38 and 22%; after 30 days, the decreases amounted to 81, 79 and 71%. After 30 days, but not after 15 days, ethanol increased the levels of triacylglycerol in plasma. Ethanol intake concomitantly decreased TAGL and DAGL activities in post-heparin effluents and in heart tissue extracts, whereas MAGL activity was decreased only in the latter extracts. We conclude that ethanol intake causes a marked impairment in heart LPL and in two closely-related heparin-releasable activities, seemingly by altering the production of a catalytically active enzyme. A distinct heparin-unreleasable MAGL appears to exist in heart, that could be ethanol-insensitive. Overall, the results suggest that a LPL-related alteration in fatty acid supply could contribute to the toxicity of ethanol in heart.