Alcohol and very low density lipoprotein synthesis and secretion by isolated hepatocytes

Labeled leucine can be used to measure accurately the rate of both total and secretory protein synthesis by isolated hepatocytes if at least 1 mM leucine is added to the incubation medium, even in the presence of 50 mM ethanol. Using this technique it was found that ethanol caused a significant inhibition of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) as well as total protein synthetic rates in hepatocytes from both fed and fasted rats. In contrast, a single acute oral dose of ethanol to fasted rats caused within 4 hr a threefold stimulation in the rate of VLDL synthesis without affecting the total protein synthetic rate in the hepatocyte system.