EFFECT OF ETHANOL-CONSUMPTION ON ADULT-RAT LIVER MITOCHONDRIAL POPULATIONS ANALYZED BY FLOW-CYTOMETRY

In the present study, the effects of administering ethanol to adult ma le rats on the distribution of the low fluorescence population (LFP) a nd high fluorescence population (HFP), and the rhodamine-123 fluoresce nce intensity of these groups of mitochondria are analyzed by flow cyt ometry, Our results show that ethanol administration to adult male rat s induces a redistribution of the HFP and LFP mitochondrial population s leading to an increase of the less functional HFP mitochondria, In a ddition, ethanol induced an increase in the mean intensity of green fl uorescence of the HFP that is probably related to an increased number of rhodamine-123 binding sites per mitochondria resulting from mitocho ndria enlargement.