AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 252, Issue 2 237-G243, Copyright © 1987 by American Physiological Society
Effects of ethanol on gastric epithelial cell phospholipid dynamics and cellular function
R. E. Bailey, R. A. Levine, J. Nandi, E. H. Schwartzel Jr, D. H. Beach, P. N. Borer and G. C. Levy
The lipid profile of isolated gastric superficial epithelial cells (SEC)
was evaluated by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR).
The most conspicuous resonance band in SEC spectra was due to the protons
of +N(CH3)3 groups of phosphatidylcholine and, to a lesser degree, other
phospholipid derivatives, on the basis of their chemical shift and addition
of purified phospholipids. NMR of cell lysates and phospholipid extracts of
SEC in deutero-chloroform provided further spectral resolution of these
components. Phospholipase or ethanol treatments of SEC produced membrane
disorganization reflected as increased peak intensity of the phospholipid
signals. In addition, ethanol, in a dose-dependent manner, attenuated
paranitrophenyl phosphatase activity, which correlated with inhibition of
total and ouabain-sensitive 86Rubidium chloride uptake by SEC. This study
suggests that NMR used in conjunction with other biochemical techniques can
monitor SEC membrane structure-function relationships. NMR is a potentially
powerful noninvasive probe to show changes in lipid membrane organization
induced by low concentrations of ethanol (1%) and may indicate an early
sign of "cytotoxicity" in intact SEC.
