Acute and chronic effects of ethanol on intestinal lipid metabolism

To assess the effects of ethanol on intestinal lipid metabolism, fatty acid oxidation and triacylglycerol synthesis were measured in intestinal slices incubated with ethanol. Ethanol, when used in concentrations likely to be achieved in the upper jejunum after moderate drinking, inhibited both palmitate and acetate oxidation, CO2 production and triacylglycerol synthesis, whereas it enhanced the esterification of fatty acid with ethanol. The concentrations required for the inhibitory effect were much higher than those needed to saturate enzyme systems known to participate in ethanol oxidation. In vivo administration of ethanol-containing diets produced persistent changes of the intestinal slices with respect to fatty acid oxidation and triacylglycerol synthesis. Acute intragastric administration of ethanol (3 g/kg) one hour prior to sacrifice, inhibited both processes in slices obtained from the jejunum, but not in those derived from the ileum. By contrast, chronic ethanol feeding increased the ability for fatty acid oxidation and triacylglycerol synthesis both in the jejunum and in the ileum. This stimulatory effect was associated with significant enhancement of palmitoyl-Co A synthetase activity, suggesting increased fatty acid activation. The inhibition by ethanol in high concentrations of intestinal fatty acid oxidation and triacylglycerol synthesis probably reflects epithelial cell damage; by contrast, prolonged administration of ethanol results in a persistent enhancement of lipid metabolism which may reflect the presence of a different cell population in the intestine.