Effect of ethanol administration on alcohol dehydrogenase activity in mouse hepatic cells: ultracytochemical study

The effect of ethanol administration on alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity in the hepatic parenchymal cells of ICR, C57BL/6J and DBA/2 mice was studied ultracytochemically by the copper ferrocyanide method. Also, the tetranitroblue tetrazolium (TNBT) method was partially used. The ethanoltreated mice were sacrificed either 6 (6hr group) or 30hr (30hr group) after the last administration. ADH activity in all ethanol-treated mice, 6hr group was markedly increased in the cytoplasmic matrix immediately adjacent to both rough- as well as smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum over that of the same ethanol-treated mice, 30hr group. I. In 6hr and 30hr groups, ADH activity in the heavily dosed mice showed a significant decrease of the activity as compared to that of the moderately dosed mice. In long-term ethanol-treated mice, 30hr group, there was the maximum increase in ADH activity in both the cytoplasmic matrix and mitochondria at 15 and 18 months, after which the activity showed a significant decrease. In comparison with respective control mice, long-term ethanol-treated mice, 30hr group, showed slight increase in ADH activity. TNBT-formazans were positive in the cristae mitochondriales of long-term ethanol-treated mice, but not at all in the control mice. II. In the 6hr, 30hr and control groups, ADH activity in C57BL mice increased over that of DBA mice.