Prostaglandin E1 effects on ethanol metabolism in the rat

Previous studies in our labaratory have shown that PGE₁ prevents alcohol induced fatty livers in the rat. Since PGE₁ could primarily affect alcohol metabolism, we studied the effect of this compound on the metabolism of a single intragastric dose of alcohol given to rats that had been previously maintained on a normal diet or on an alcohol supplemented diet. Neither the acute nor the chronic administration of PGE₁ affected the disappearance of alcohol from blood whether the animals had been previously fed the control or the alcohol diet. PGE₁ did not affect alcohol dehydrogenase activity of either group of animals. These studies suggest that the protective effect of PGE₁ on alcohol induced fatty liver in rats is not related to a direct action on alcohol metabolism.