Effect of ethanol on disaccharidases of hamster jejunal brush border membrane

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of alcohol on the activity of jejunal disaccharidases (DS). The activity of DS in a preparation of purified brush border membrane of hamster jejunum was measured in the absence and in the presence (0.8 to 6.4% wt/vol) of ethanol. To compare the effect of alcohol on DS with its action on a brush border enzyme of a different group, we also measured the activity of alkaline phosphatase (AP) under similar conditions. Ethanol depressed the activity of sucrase, maltase, and lactase in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner, but it stimulated the activity of AP. The ethanol-induced inhibition of DS was completely reversible. Kinetic studies indicate that ethanol depressed the Vmax and increased the Km of sucrase and lactase. The Vmax of maltase also decreased, but the Km of this hydrolase was not affected by ethanol. From the results of this study it would appear that acute exposure of the jejunal brush border to ethanol depresses the DS activity of the membrane and that (because the AP was not depressed) the ethanol-induced inhibition of DS is not the result of a general inhibition of all enzymes of the brush border.