Effects of phenethyl alcohol on transport reactions, nucleotide pools and macromolecular synthesis in novikoff rat hepatoma cells growing in suspension culture

At cytostatic concentrations, phenethyl alcohol has immediate and reversible effects on multiple metabolic processes of Novikoff rat hepatoma cells growing in suspension culture. These include an inhibition of the transport of various low molecular weight substances into the cell, an inhibition of DNA and protein synthesis and the processing of ribosomal RNA, and a degradation of ribosomal RNA. All effects might be explained as resulting from an interaction of the chemical with cellular membranes. Phenethyl alcohol does not have an immediate effect on RNA synthesis per se . The immediate failure of phenethyl alcohol‐treated cells to incorporate uridine from the medium into RNA is due to an inhibition of the uridine transport reaction.