The acute effects of ethanol on protein synthesis in isolated rat liver cells are pH-dependent.

Acute administration of ethanol to isolated rat liver cells induced a pH-dependent inhibition of protein synthesis. The effect of the alcohol was highest at pH 7.0 and nil at pH 7.8. 4-methyl-pyrazole partially reversed the action of ethanol only below pH 7.4. Time-course experiments suggested that ethanol could act preventing the initiation of new polypeptide chains stimulated by D-glucose, and that this effect is abolished at pH 7.8.