Nonoxidative ethanol metabolism: expression of fatty acid ethyl ester synthase-III in cultured neural cells.

Abstract

Alcohol metabolism in the human brain has been characterized as essentially nonoxidative in nature, with the esterification of ethanol with fatty acids via fatty acid ethyl ester synthase. This pathway of ethanol metabolism is related to end organ damage in the brain but the neural cell type expressing FAEES has not been identified. In this study human and rodent neuroblastoma and glioma cell lines are assayed for fatty acid ethyl ester synthase activity. Cells with neuronal properties demonstrated higher activity than glioma cell lines. We confirmed the presence of the mRNA for one type of synthase, fatty acid ethyl ester synthase-III in three neuronal cell lines--N1E115 cells, PC12 cells, and SK-N-MC cells. These results support the hypothesis that FAEES activity is expressed chiefly in cells with neuronal properties and suggest that non-oxidative ethanol metabolism is potentially related to the toxic effect of ethanol on the human brain.

• Authors: K E Isenberg, P S Bora, X Zhou, X Wu, B W Moore, L G Lange
• Journal: Biochemical and biophysical research communications (Biochem Biophys Res Commun) Vol. 185 Issue 3 Pg. 938-43 (Jun 30 1992) ISSN: 0006-291X [Print] United States
• PMID: 1627145 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Carbon Radioisotopes
• Oleic Acids
• RNA, Messenger
• Tritium
• Oleic Acid
• Ethanol
• Acyltransferases
• fatty acyl ethyl ester synthase

Topics

• Acyltransferases (genetics, metabolism)
• Animals
• Blotting, Northern
• Carbon Radioisotopes
• Cell Line
• Ethanol (metabolism)
• Glioma
• Humans
• Kinetics
• Neuroblastoma
• Oleic Acid
• Oleic Acids (metabolism)
• PC12 Cells
• RNA, Messenger (genetics, metabolism)
• Rats
• Tritium
• Tumor Cells, Cultured