Effects of ethanol diets on cholesterol content and phospholipid acyl composition of rat hepatocytes

Chronic treatment of adult male rats with ethanol liquid diets resulted in alterations in phospholipid and cholesterol contents as well as the acyl composition of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI)-phosphatidylserine (PS) mixture, and phosphatidylcholine (PC) of isolated hepatocytes. The influence of ethanol on these lipids was largely dependent on the proportion of dietary fat. Phospholipid and total cholesterol contents were elevated 23 and 27%, respectively, by ethanol when offered in a low-fat diet (5% corn oil). Only the percentage of arachidonic acid from PI-PS was significantly reduced in the low-fat ethanol group. Exposure to a high-fat (34% corn oil) diet in the presence of ethanol for 4-5 weeks resulted in a significant decrease in arachidonate/linoleate ratios of hepatic PE, PS-PI and PC, while total phospholipid content remained constant. In the high-fat, ethanol-treated group, hepatic cholesterol content was increased 2-fold. These results suggest that the level of dietary fat plays an important role in determining the effects of chronic ethanol consumption on hepatic cholesterol content and phospholipid acyl composition.