EFFECT OF ANILINE ON ETHANOL OXIDATION AND CARBOHYDRATE-METABOLISM INISOLATED HEPATOCYTES

The addition of aniline to isolated hepatocytes derived from fasted ra ts and incubated with ethanol, caused a 30-60% decrease in the rate of ethanol oxidation. The degree of inhibition was dependent on aniline concentration, 5 mM causing near-maximal inhibition. Aniline reduced t he activity of alcohol dehydrogenase in a noncompetitive manner, but h ad no effect on aldehyde dehydrogenase activity nor on reducing-equiva lent transfer between the cytoplasm and mitochondria. The inhibition o f alcohol dehydrogenase by aniline was associated with a decrease in t he inhibitory effects of ethanol on glycolysis. Aniline, added to hepa tocytes in the presence or absence of ethanol, inhibited gluconeogenes is from lactate and pyruvate, but not from sorbitol or fructose.