Chronic ethanol feeding and acute ethanol exposure in vitro: effect on intestinal transport of biotin

This study examined the effects of chronic ethanol feeding and acute ethanol exposure in vitro on biotin transport in rat intestine. Transport studies were performed with intestinal everted sacs. Ethanol was fed to rats for 6-7 wk. Compared with pair-fed controls, ethanol feeding significantly decreased plasma biotin concentrations and transport at physiological concentrations (0.01, 0.1, and 0.3 mumol/L) but not at pharmacological concentration (100 mumol/L). When added to the incubation medium of everted jejunal sacs from dry-food-fed rats, ethanol (2% vol:vol) significantly inhibited the transport of biotin at a physiological concentration (0.1 mumol/L) but not at a pharmacological concentration (100 mumol/L). The inhibitory effect of ethanol on the transport of 0.1 mumol biotin/L increased with increasing concentration of ethanol in the incubation medium [0.5% to 5% (vol:vol)]. Acetaldehyde, the major ethanol metabolite, also significantly inhibited biotin transport at 0.2% (vol:vol). These data demonstrate that chronic ethanol feeding and acute ethanol exposure in vitro inhibit the intestinal transport of biotin by the carrier-mediated process. Chronic ethanol feeding is also associated with a significant decrease in plasma biotin concentrations. The ethanol-induced inhibition in intestinal transport of biotin may be a contributing factor in reducing plasma biotin concentrations.