EFFECT OF CHRONIC ETHANOL ADMINISTRATION ON THE ABSORPTIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE RAT SMALL-INTESTINE

Ethanol feeding to rats for 40 days significantly (p < 0.01) depressed sodium-stimulated glucose and glycine uptakes at pH 5.5 and 7.2 witho ut affecting sodium-independent solute transport in the rat intestine. Leucine uptake was essentially unaltered under these conditions. Abso rption of bovine serum albumin and gamma-globulin as detected by enzym e-linked immunosorbent blocking assay (ELISA) was markedly augmented ( p < 0.001) in ethanol-fed rats compared to the controls. These observa tions suggest that chronic ethanol intake differentially affects the u ptake of organic solutes and macromolecules in the rat intestine.