Glutathione metabolism in isolated rat hepatocytes: acinar heterogeneity of detoxifying enzymes and effects of ethanol.

Periportal and perivenous hepatocytes were isolated by the digitonin-collagenase perfusion technique. The activity of the cytosolic glutathione S-transferase was higher in perivenous cells, but the cytosolic glutathione reductase and the microsomal glutathione S-transferase activities were evenly distributed. In contrast, both the Se-dependent and the microsomal Se-independent glutathione peroxidase activity and the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was much lower in perivenous hepatocytes, suggesting that these cells have a lowered detoxification capacity, which may contribute to their greater susceptibility to damage by xenobiotics. The mechanism of the ethanol-induced GSH depletion in vivo was studied by incubating conventionally isolated hepatocytes. In the absence of glutathione precursors, ethanol (80 mM) did not influence the GSH content, despite accumulation of acetaldehyde (10-100 MicroM). L-Methionine or L-cysteine stimulated GSH replenishment to in vivo rates. Ethanol oxidation resulted in acetaldehyde accumulation, but did not inhibit GSH replenishment from L-methionine and even stimulated that from L-cysteine. This seems to exclude conjugation of GSH with acetaldehyde as a mechanism by which ethanol suppresses GSH levels in vivo.