Effect of ethyl alcohol on motor function in canine stomach

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of ethanol on gastric emptying and the trituration of solid food. With the use of a noninvasive physiological imaging technique, gastric processing of a radiolabeled solid meal was evaluated in unanesthetized dogs which ingested 6-8% ethanol solutions or received intravenous alcohol before the meal. Oral alcohol (resulting in blood levels up to 174 mg/dl) decreased the amplitude of antral contractions or completely abolished them. Alcohol did not significantly affect the fundamental frequency of contractions except at high doses, at which contractions were abolished. Alcohol lengthened the mean time to 50% of gastric emptying in a dose-dependent manner, from 132 +/- 3 min without alcohol to 160 +/- 10 min with oral alcohol at blood levels of 80-120 mg/dl (P less than 0.05). This was manifested by a lengthening of the lag phase, but there was no effect on the terminal slope of emptying (emptying rate) of the processed meal. At equal blood levels up to 120 mg/dl, orally administered alcohol had a more pronounced effect than intravenous alcohol. These data suggest that even low doses of dilute alcohol affect the ability of the antrum to process solid food and thereby contribute to impairment of gastric emptying.