Analysis of the effects of ethanol, fructose and nicotinamide on the free nucleotides of rat liver using high performance liquid chromatography.

1. Rat liver nucleotides were separated on a weak anion-exchange HPLC column. The characteristic nucleotide profile could be modified by treatment of the rats with ethanol, at both acute and chronic dosages, by fructose and by nicotinamide. 2. The major effect observed after ethanol administration was a decrease in the concentration of ATP with increases in the concentrations of AMP and other nucleotide monophosphates. 3. These changes gradually reverted to normal values over a 30 min period. 4. Ingestion of 1 or 5% ethanol for 4 weeks caused similar changes in the nucleotide profile of liver. 5. Fructose administration caused a dramatic but reversible decrease in the size of the entire nucleotide pool. 6. Rats given daily injections of nicotinamide exhibited greatly elevated concentrations of liver NAD+, whereas the other pyridine nucleotides were relatively unaffected. 7. The results are discussed in relation to the known effect on metabolism of the compounds tested.