Effect of ethanol on rat liver. II. Number, size and appearance of mitochondria

Quantitative ultrastructural analysis of hepatoprotective effects of (+)-cyanidanol-3 on alcoholic liver damage

Biochemical considerations suggest that bioflavonoids may be effective antihepatotoxic and hepatoprotective agents. We, therefore, designed a morphometric study to examine the effect of (+)-cyanidanol-3 on ethanol-induced hepatocellular alterations. Using a stereologic point and intersection counting method we determined the volume fraction of cytoplasmic components, the surface area of cytoplasmic membranes, some parameters of mitochondria, and numerical densities of some organelles, after chronic ethanol intoxication and hepato-protective treatment of rats. Consistent with previous qualitative and quantitative descriptions, chronic ethanol feeding caused increases in parameters of mitochondria, microsome, and Golgi complex. The hepatoprotective (+)-cyanidanol-3 treatment restored most of the morphologic distortion caused by ethanol ingestion. The (+)-cyanidanol-3 treatment alone caused an elevation of the surface area of smooth endoplasmic reticulum and nonsignificant changes in mitochondrial parameters, possibly due to its inducing effect on microsomes and activating effect on mitochondrial enzymes. These data indicate that bioflavonoids could be of potential benefit in hepatotoxic or alcohol-related liver disease.

Ultrastructural and biochemical studies of the brain and other organs in rats after chronic ethanol administration. IV. Stereological analysis of mitochondria from rat liver cells after intoxication with various ethanol doses

Ultrastructural and stereological analysis of mitochondria of liver cells from rats was performed after intoxication with various doses of ethanol administered for various time periods in increasing concentrations. The following changes were observed in the cells of the experimental animals as compared with the control ones: -- a decrease of the surface area of mitochondria per unit volume of the hepatocyte, -- a decrease of the mean number of mitochondrial profiles per 100 micrometers 2 surface area of hepatocyte cross section, -- a decrease in the value of the axial ratio of mitochondrial profiles. A diminished volume fraction of the mitochondria was not observed. The above presented results show that, after ethanol poisoning, the mitochondria in hepatic cells become enlarged and rounded and their number seems to diminish. Qualitative studies demonstrated that the structure of mitochondria is frequently damaged, this consisting in injury to their membranes, formation of lamellar structures, and destruction of the system of cristae and matrix. This leads to the presence of degenerated, sometimes monstrously large mitochondria in the cells. The above described changes occurred as early as after 4 weeks of ethanol administration in increasing doses from 2.5 to 10 per cent. An increase of ethanol concentration to 42 per cent and prolongation of the period of treatment with ethanol to 12 weeks did not markedly enhance the changes.

The use of a semi-synthetic liquid diet for the supply of ethanol to rats and its effect on lysosomal enzyme activities in the liver

1. A liquid diet is described for the supply of ethanol to rats with a constant proportion of energy equivalents from different sources. In this diet, a protein-enriched, dry, milk powder is used as the protein source.

2. The diet was used in a two-group experiment lasting for 80 d in which the rats were fedad lib.The consumption was 120 ml/d per rat in the control group, whereas in the ethanol-consuming group the consumpton was only 40 ml/d per rat at the start of the experiment and rose to and remained at 80 ml/d per rat after 20 d.

3. The control group grew normally. In the ethanol-consuming group, there was an initial loss of body-weight; after 20 d there was some increase in body-weight but growth was slower than in the control group. The smaller food intake in the ethanol group was not wholly caused by the lower body-weight.

4. The free and total activities of acid phosphatase (EC3·1·3·2) and β-glucuronidase (EC3·2·1·31) were estimated in the liver after 10, 20, 30, 40, 60 and 80 d. Neither the free nor the total activity of acid phosphatase changed significantly during the experiment. The ratio of free activity to total activity increased significantly after 20–40 d of treatment with ethanol. The free and total activities of β-glucuronidase were significantly increased after 10 d of treatment with ethanol, but this difference could not be shown after prolonged treatment.