Effect of alcohol on expression of heat shock protein 73 in monolayers of hepatocytes from alcohol-exposed rats.

ABSTRACT

Alcohol dramatically reduced loss of heat shock proteins (HSP73) and prevented morphological damage in monolayers of hepatocytes prepared from alcohol-fed rats. The monolayers were treated with 0, 5, 25, or 100 mM alcohol and triplicate samples were assayed at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr after exposure. The content of HSP73 was measured by PAGE electrophoresis and Western blotting with a mouse monoclonal anti-HSP70 IgG antibody. HSP72 is not expressed under these conditions. Damage to the hepatocytes, quantified by leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), was also decreased by 100 mM alcohol. Although the initial 100 mM alcohol concentration decreased logarithmically to 1.7 mM over the first 24 hr, the effect of alcohol on HSP73 loss, LDH leakage, and morphological damage was most pronounced at 96 hr.