The effect of ethanol on the metabolism of prostaglandins and related compounds.

Previous studies have shown that chronic consumption of ethanol by rats lowers the level of membrane-bound arachidonic acid (C20:4) and stimulates the in vitro measured rate of hepatic lipid peroxidation. These observations suggested that ethanol might thereby cause changes in the metabolic pathway leading to prostaglandins and related compounds. Initial studies demonstrated that chronic ethanol administration to male rats results in an impaired ability on the part of these animals to catabolize prostaglandins via renal prostaglandin dehydrogenase (PGDH) but no effect was observed on the synthesis of thromboxanes by blood platelets from these same animals. Experiments have now been carried out in an attempt to further assess the acute and chronic effects of ethanol on the metabolism of prostaglandins and prostacyclin. Generally, these results suggest a lack of an acute effect of ethanol and a dose dependency for the chronic effects.