Effects of ethanol, acetaldehyde and acetate on insulin release from perifused pancreatic islets.

It has been postulated that ethanol-induced changes in carbohydrate hemeostasis are mediated in part by alterations in pancreatic endocrine function. In this study ethanol (40, 120 and 240 mg/dl) produced dose-related suppression of immunoreactive insulin (IRI) release from isolated rat islets perifused with glucose and theophylline. Acetaldehyde inhibited IRI release at a concentration (39 mg/dl) much higher than can be achieved in vivo. A high concentration (29 mg/dl) of acetate did not influence IRI release. These results suggest that the ability of ethanol to inhibit IRI release resides principally in the parent compound and not its metabolites.