Interactions of ethanol with cyclic AMP

Ethanol and other alcohols stimulate adenylate cyclase activity in various tissues and potentiate its stimulation by some hormones. This effect, however, usually requires a high alcohol concentration. In some cases, an unknown substance, different from cyclic AMP, was formed from ATP in the presence of an alcohol and mimicked stimulation of adenylate cyclase. Ethanol inhibits phosphodiesterase activity in some tissues. In the brain, only the low affinity enzyme of pons-medulla region is inhibited. ATP levels and ATPase activities are affected by ethanol treatment and this can lead to secondary changes of the cyclic AMP levels. Cyclic AMP levels in the brain and liver are decreased by acute ethanol administration while levels in other organs are unchanged. High doses of ethanol inhibit the postdecapitation-induced rise of cyclic AMP level in the brain while low ethanol doses potentiate the postdecapitation rise of cyclic AMP in the lower brain stem. Chronic ethanol administration increases basal adenylate cyclase activity and cyclic AMP levels, and decreases stimulation of adenylate cyclase by norepinephrine in the brain. In contrast, the stimulation of cyclic AMP formation by norepinephrine and other biogenic amines is increased in the brain of ethanol-withdrawn animals. Chronic administration of ethanol affects also cyclic AMP levels and cyclic AMP formation in some peripheral organs. Cyclic AMP might be involved in ethanol-induced fatty liver, since it activates hepatic lipase and might also participate in the fatty acid oxidation.