Cholestasis following chronic alcohol consumption: Enhancement after an acute dose of chlorpromazine

Sprague-Dawley rats were pair-fed nutritionally adequate liquid diets containing either 36% of total calories as ethanol or isocaloric carbohydrates (controls) for 4 weeks. Compared to controls, chronic alcohol consumption leads to slightly increased serum activities of various hepatic enzymes including the alkaline phosphatase (AP). Chlorpromazine administered as a single dose 18 hours after ethanol with-drawal resulted within 18 hours in a significant increase of serum AP activity in rats fed ethanol chronically but not in their pair-fed controls. It is concluded that chronic alcohol consumption predisposes to cholestasis due to chlorpromazine.