The effect of ethanol on the concentration of gluconeogenic intermediates in rat liver.

Abstract

SummaryEthanol administration to fasted rats increased the hepatic concentration of glutamate, malate, and α-glycerophosphate. The concentration of lactate was unchanged. The concentrations of asparate, 2-phosphoglycerate, 3-phosphoglycerate, fructose-1-6-P, fructose-6-P, and glucose-6-P were decreased by ethanol. Although these data are consistent with the hypothesis that ethanol decreases hepatic glucose production as a result of shunting substrates to lactate and α-glycerophosphate, the amount of α-glycerophosphate, lactate, and malate which accumulated after ethanol feeding was small in comparison to reported estimates of glucose production by the rat liver. It is concluded that the primary mechanism for ethanol-induced inhibition of hepatic glucose production is that ethanol blocks the entry of intermediates into the gluconeogenic pathways.