Changes of hepatic microtubules and secretory proteins in human alcoholic liver disease

It has been shown that alcohol consumption disrupts liver microtubules, impairs protein secretion and leads to ballooning of the hepatocytes in rats. Ethanol-induced hepatomegaly was accounted for by an increase of the hepatocytes volume. To study whether these changes occur in human alcoholic liver disease, hepatic tubular protein and export protein content were measured in 29 cases of alcoholic liver disease and were compared with those of 37 cases of non-alcoholic liver disease and 5 cases of non-hepatobiliary disease. Hepatic polymerized tubulin was significantly decreased in alcoholic liver disease compared to non-alcoholic liver disease (p less than 0.01), while free tubulin was increased in alcoholic liver disease. Hepatic transferrin (one of the export proteins) content was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) and serum transferrin level was significantly lower (p less than 0.05) in alcoholic liver disease than in non-alcoholic liver disease. These findings indicated that even in humans, chronic alcohol consumption decreased hepatic microtubules by impairing polymerization of tubular protein and increased hepatic export protein content. This decrease in hepatic microtubules by chronic alcohol consumption may play an important role in the development of human alcoholic liver disease.