Mechanism of enhancement of renal (Na+ + K+) ATPase activity following chronic ethanol exposure

A method was devised to determine the nature of the mechanism of the increase in renal (NA++K+)-ATPase in rats fed dilute ethanol for ten weeks. Antiserum to (NA++K+)-ATPase obtained from rabbits was added to microssomal fractions of Kidney and the activities of (NA++K+)-ATPase and Mg2+ ATPase were determined. The addition of antiserum resulted in a same pattern of dose-related inhibition of (NA++K+)-ATPase activity in control and ethanol-fed rats, whereas mg2+-ATPase was not affected by the antiserum. These results suggest that the mechanism of ethanol-induced enhancement of renal (NA++K+)-ATPase activity could be explained through an increase in the number of catalytic units.