Ethanol-induced accumulation of triacylglycerol in cultured hepatocytes: dependency on ethanol metabolism.

Calculations based on net changes and [1-14C]oleate incorporation data suggest that fatty acids are the only precursor of acetylCoA and that extensive lipolysis takes place in hepatocyte cultures incubated with 1 mM oleate in the absence or presence of ethanol. The effect of 4-methylpyrazole on fatty acid metabolism as affected by ethanol has been studied. The ethanol-induced increase in fatty acid uptake was found to be an effect of ethanol per se, whereas the decreased oxidation of fatty acids and secretion of VLDL-triacylglycerol was found to be due to ethanol metabolism.