[Studies on ethanol absorption from the intestine--blood ethanol and acetaldehyde concentrations in the various...

We describe the concentration gradient of ethanol at different blood sampling sites of dogs dosed via the jejunal segment or intravenously, and the subsequent recovery of intestinal fluid from the jejunal segment. After laparotomy a 30 cm length of jejunal segment with intact vascular supply was isolated. Blood samples were collected from the portal vein, hepatic vein, aorta and inferior vena cava. A 17% ethanol solution was used for a small dose group (0.4 g/kg) and a 33% solution for a large dose group (0.8 g/kg). In the small dose and large dose groups administered the solution via the jejunal segment, ethanol concentration in the blood of the portal vein increased rapidly and the highest ethanol concentration was detected in the portal vein, followed, in descending order by the hepatic vein, aorta and inferior vena cava. The highest acetaldehyde concentration in blood was detected in the hepatic vein, followed by that in the aorta while the lowest was in the portal vein and inferior vena cava in both groups. Each concentration gradient corresponded in order to systemic circulatory order from the intestine (ethanol absorption site) for ethanol concentration, or from the liver (acetaldehyde formation area) for acetaldehyde concentration. There was no difference in ethanol concentration among the four sampling sites in the case of intravenous ethanol injection, but a gradation of acetaldehyde concentration similar to that in the jejunal segment dosed cases was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)