Alcohol and retinoid metabolism

• Published in: Gut Vol. 47; no. 6; pp. 748 - 750
• Main Author: SEITZ, H K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Society of Gastroenterology 01.12.2000; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Alcoholism; Aldehyde Dehydrogenase - metabolism; Colon; Ethanol; Ethanol - metabolism; Humans; Liver; Metabolites; Retinoids - metabolism; Rodents
• ISSN: 0017-5749; 1468-3288; 1458-3288
• DOI: 10.1136/gut.47.6.748

Changes in retinol metabolism due to alcohol may have a pathophysiological impact in both alcoholic liver disease and alcohol associated cancer as retinoic acid, the most active form of vitamin A, is an important regulator of normal epithelial cell growth, function, and differentiation. Decreased hepatic retinoic acid concentrations are associated with functional downregulation of RAR, enhanced expression of AP-1 gene (c-jun and c-fos), and increased hepatic cell regeneration, all of which return to normal following retinoic acid supplementation. 2 3 In contrast, retinol concentrations in extrahepatic tissues such as the oesophageal and colonic mucosa were found to be increased rather than decreased following chronic ethanol consumption. 4 This was also confirmed in alcoholics with oropharyngeal cancer where normal retinol concentrations were found in normal oral mucosa adjacent to cancerous tissue. 5 It was believed that one mechanism for this observation was increased mobilisation of retinyl esters from the liver to the oral mucosa.