Studies on the hormonal regulation of rat liver alcohol dehydrogenase

These observations have extended and clarified the earlier reports on the effects of thyroid hormone and androgens on liver ADH activity. Thyroid hormone exerts a direct effect on ADH activity, but is not required for the expression of the enzyme. At present, it has not been possible to demonstrate a physiological role for thyroid hormone in determining the developmental and sexual variation in ADH activity. Androgens probably modulate the pattern of secretion of GH, which then determines the level of ADH expression in the liver. We do not understand how GH exerts an effect on liver protein expression in this or other systems. This effect of growth hormone is probably the major controlling factor in the sexual variation in ADH activity. Since the pattern of GH secretion can be influenced by perinatal factors and by stress, it will be of great interest to see if the expression of any of the human ADH isoenzymes is also modified by the pattern of GH secretion.