The stimulation by ethanol of rat aorta ring prostacyclin-like synthesis is related to the age of the animal.

Rat aorta rings were incubated with Tris/HCl buffer and the release of prostacyclin-like material (PGI2-L) measured indirectly by assaying the increase in cAMP in rat platelets incubated with the aorta incubation medium. The addition of 1% ethanol to the incubation system stimulated PGI2-L formation. Aorta rings from 16 week old rats synthesised more PGI2-L material than aorta tissue removed from 6 week old animals.