Contribution of NMR spectroscopy to the biochemical investigation of ethanol-induced perturbations in hepatic metabolism.

The potential and versatility of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy comply ideally with the study of the wide range and complexity of ethanol repercussions on hepatic metabolism. The same technique allows investigations on various experimental models, ranging from isolated molecules to laboratory animals in situ, as well as extending to the clinically relevant examination of ethanol-induced pathophysiological disorders in humans. In the present review, we document the contribution of NMR spectroscopy to the experimental elucidation of the enzymatic pathways of ethanol catabolism in the liver, and the consequences of its oxidation on intermediary metabolism using nonradioactive tracer molecules, in addition to emphasizing the interactions of ethanol with the energy state of the hepatocyte via shifts elicited in the redox state of subcellular compartments of the cell. The long-term consumption of excessive quantities of alcohol triggers the development of various pathophysiological disorders. We therefore discuss the current possibilities for the non-invasive detection and characterization of these pathologies on experimental models of intoxicated animals, as well as the expectations for a clinical differential diagnosis of alcoholic liver diseases in humans by NMR spectroscopy.