Mitochondrial function following chronic ethanol treatment: effect of diet.

Rats were fed liquid diets containing 36% of the calories as ethanol either in a high fat, adequate protein or in a high protein, low fat diet, with pair-fed controls receiving an isocaloric amount of sucrose replacing ethanol. Liver mitochondria were isolated in a fatty acid free albumin containing medium. Mitochondrial respiration respiratory control and ADP/O ratios were measured either using a glutamate-malate mixture or succinate. In rats fed the high fat adequate protein diet chronic ethanol treatment resulted in a reduction in the respiratory rates in states 3 and 4 with both substrates. However, such changes did not occur in rats fed high protein low fat diets. Using the NAD-linked substrates, but not with succinate, the respiratory control ratio was significantly decreased following ethanol treatment with the high fat adequate protein but not the high protein low fat diet. ADP/O ratios were not affected by the ethanol treatment with either diet. Ethanol metabolism rate increased by 70% in rats treated with ethanol containing high protein low fat diets and by 50% with ethanol containing high fat adequate protein diets.