The influence of dietary fat and alcohol on hepatic microsomal levels of cytochromes P-450 2E1, 2B, and 4A; phospholipases A and C; and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase was studied in the intragastric feeding rat model for alcoholic liver injury. Eight groups of animals were evaluated. Control and ethanol fed rats received either saturated fat or corn oil and were killed after 2 weeks and 1 month of feeding. All animals were pair-fed by continuous infusion of liquid diet through permanently implanted gastric cannulas. Alcoholic liver injury developed only in the corn oil-ethanol-fed groups and was manifest by 1 month. Livers were subjected to the following analyses: pathologic evaluation of liver injury; levels of cytochromes P-450 2E1, 2B, and 4A protein and mRNA; aniline hydroxylase activity; and phospholipase A and C and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities. Ethanol-induced increases in cytochromes P-450 2E1 and 2B protein determined by Western blotting were greatest in the corn oil-ethanol-fed group, which developed pathologic changes in the liver. Cytochromes P-450 2E1 and 2B1 mRNA levels were unaffected, suggesting that posttranscriptional mechanisms are responsible for the increase in the corresponding P-450 proteins. In contrast, cytochrome P-450 4A levels were higher in the saturated fat-ethanol groups compared with the corn oil-ethanol groups. Phospholipase A and phospholipase C levels were higher in the corn oil-ethanol groups compared with pair-fed dextrose controls and the saturated fat-ethanol groups. UDP-glucuronosyltransferase levels declined with time in the ethanol-fed groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)