Lipogenesis and cholesterogenesis de novo in liver and adipose tissue. Alterations of lipid metabolism by the effect of short- and long-term thioacetamide administration to rats

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Abstract
Enzyme activities related to fatty acid synthesis were determined in liver extracts of rats treated with thioacetamide (TAM) for 8 weeks. Lipogenesis and cholesterogenesis in vivo were evaluated both in liver and in epididymal adipose tissue. The enzymatic activities of ATP-citrate lyase, acetyl CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthetase, glycerol kinase and NAD-kinase decrease progressively when TAM was chronically administered. However, in the same experimental conditions malic enzyme and other NADP-enzymes were noticeably increased. This increase can be related to an excess of NADPH production necessary for detoxification rather than for lipogenesis. The rate of in vivo incorporation of 3H2O into non-saponifiable fraction in liver showed an increase in the acute phase (1–3 days) of TAM-treatment. In the chronic phase of TAM intoxication this rate returned to values close to normality. The rate of in vivo incorporation of 3H2O to fatty acid fraction increased in the liver during the acute phase of TAM-treatment and showed a sharp decrease during the subacute and chronic phases of the intoxication. At the end of the 60-day period of TAM-treatment, the radioactivity incorporated into fatty acids was significantly lowered. These data showed that the alterations in hepatk lipogenesis observed during TAM administration are related to changes in the activities of lipogenic enzymes and probably are a consequence of alterations in plasma insulin concentration. Disturbances in lipid metabolism should play an important role in the pathogenesis of liver damage and its physiological significance could involve metabolic changes in proliferative and neoplastic liver diseases.