ENHANCEMENT OF ALCOHOL-INDUCED HYPOGLYCEMIA BY H-2-RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS

The oral ethanol loading test (0.5 g/kg body mass) was carried out in 3 groups with 10 healthy male volunteers each before and after 7 days of administration of either cimetidine (CAS 51481-61-9), ranitidine (C AS 66357-59-3), or famotidine (CAS 76824-35-6). The parameters determi ned during 6 h comprised the blood levels of ethanol, acetaldehyde, gl ucose, lactate, pyruvate and bicarbonates, as well as blood pH, PCO2 a nd PO2. Only ranitidine significantly increased the mean blood ethanol concentration and none of the drugs modified the blood acetaldehyde c oncentration. Hypoglycaemia following alcohol ingestion was significan tly enhanced by all H-2-receptor antagonists, but was most pronounced after famotidine. The alcohol-induced rise in blood pyruvate and lacta te rather had a tendency to decrease during the second test. The prese nted results suggest that the evident enhancement of alcohol-induced h ypoglycaemia by H-2-receptor antagonists is not dependent on the incre ase of ethanol absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, but represe nts rather a specific effect of these drugs on glucose metabolism.