Role of dietary, adipose, and endogenously synthesized fatty acids in the pathogenesis of the alcoholic fatty liver.

Effects of prolonged ethanol intake in man: role of dietary adipose, and endogenously synthesized fatty acids in the pathogenesis of the alcoholic fatty liver.

“…These results parallel closely the ones we obtained previously in rats studied under similar experimental conditions (1,6). Our previous observations of a decrease of fatty acid oxidation (18) in liver slices incubated with ethanol support the hypothesis that dietary lipids accumulate in the liver because of a reduction in their hepatic oxidation, but this possible mechanism for the hepatic accumulation of dietary fatty acids upon the ingestion of ethanol has not been investigated directly in the present study.…”

“…The control values for hepatic total lipid concentrations were similar to those reported previously by Billing and co-workers (17). To our knowledge, there are no previously reported direct measurements of hepatic triglycerides in needle biopsies in man; the values we found, however, agree with those observed in rats given similar diets (6).…”

“…We confirmed the fact that in rats, one large dose of ethanol leads to deposition, in the liver, of fatty acids resembling adipose tissue, especially in their linoleate content. After prolonged ethanol intake, however, we found that hepatic triglyceride fatty acids differed in many respects from those of adipose tissue, particularly with regard to the linoleate concentration (6). The present study confirms these results in man.…”

“…WVith the ingestion of low fat diets, with or without ethanol, endogenously synthesized fatty acids such as palmitate and oleate were the predominant components of hepatic triglycerides and exceeded those of adipose tissue (Tables II-V), as was previously found in rats (6). The mechanisms by which alcohol produced the accumulation of endogenously synthesized fatty acids under these experimental conditions have not been clarified.…”

“…The importance of dietary fat in the pathogenesis of the alcoholic fatty liver is indicated not only by the nature of the fatty acids accumulating in the liver, but also by the striking diminution in hepatic steatosis, both morphologically (Figures 1B, D (6). WVith the ingestion of low fat diets, with or without ethanol, endogenously synthesized fatty acids such as palmitate and oleate were the predominant components of hepatic triglycerides and exceeded those of adipose tissue (Tables II-V), as was previously found in rats (6).…”