Effect of ethanol on the hepatic clearance of serum glycoproteins in the rat

Impaired synthesis and secretion of serum glycoprotein has been reported by several investigators. Recently, we found a paradoxical results that senlm α1 acid glycoprotein is rather elevated in chronic alcoholics and this phenomenon led us to investigate the effect of ethanol on the hepatic clearance of serum glycoproteins by experimental model using ethanol fed rats. Male Wistar rats were fed with Liber's ethanol containing diet for 7 days. Te half life of 125I labeled asialo α1 acid glycoprotein in ethanol fed rat was 3.0 minutes, whereas that of normal control was 1.8min. This retardation of the clearance rate was confirmed by the experiment using isolated rat hepatocytes that significant decrease of the number of hepatic asialo α1 acid glycoprotein receptor of alcohol fed rats was observed. These results suggest that an increase of serum α1 acid glycoprotein level in alcoholics is mainly due to the impairement of the asialoglycoprotein uptake by the hepatocytes.