Effects of chronic ethanol treatment on rat liver lysosomes.

: The subcellular distribution and the latency of the lysosomal enzymes b-glucuronidase and acid DNase have been studied in livers from ethanol treated and control rats. Some livers were isolated and perfused with or without ethanol. Ethanol treatment (4-5 weeks) increased the free (non-latent) lysosomal enzyme activity significantly without affecting the total activities. In the perfused liver ethanol produced a small stabilizing effect on the lysosomes. The lipid content of the liver did not change, and the plasma enzymes (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate arninotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, b-glucuronidase) and plasma bilirubin were in the present study unaffected by the ethanol treatment.