EFFECT OF THE MENSTRUAL-CYCLE IN ETHANOL PHARMACOKINETICS

Differences in ethanol pharmacokinetics within the menstrual cycle hav e previously been reported and attributed to variations in body compos ition, hormonal influences and gastric emptying, To establish the role of the menstrual cycle in ethanol pharmacokinetics associated with ch anges in body composition, ethanol blood concentrations were measured in nine healthy women during the midfollicular (Pi, days 8-10) and mid luteal (P2, days 22-24) phases of the menstrual cycle after a postpran dial oral ethanol dose (0.3 g kg(-1)). Total body water was assessed b y dual-energy x-ray densitometry (DEXA) on both occasions, Median tota l body water did not vary during either phase of the menstrual cycle ( P1 = 54.54%, P2 = 54.66%; P = 0.9296), Median area under the ethanol c oncentration-time curve (AUG) was lower during P1 (215.33 mg.h dl(-1)) than during P2 (231.33 mg.h dl(-1))(P = 0.8253), No significant diffe rences were found on ethanol pharmacokinetics in either phase of the m enstrual cycle, (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.