Effects of acute ethanol administration on rat plasma amino acids and related compounds

Using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorometric detection, thirty-three amino acids (AA) and related compounds were measured in plasma obtained from catheterized rats over a 3-hr period following a 2 g/kg, i.p., injection of ethanol. The concentrations of twenty-three of these compounds had decreased significantly 15 min after the injection, and twenty-three remained depressed for the 3-hr period. Marked reductions were noted for alanine and arginine. Glutamic acid, 1-methylhistidine and 3-methylhistidine were unaffected by ethanol. During these studies individual differences were observed in that some rats showed marked biochemical changes, whereas other rats showed only minimal responses. These observations indicate that ethanol administration may have a significant and long-lasting impact on plasma amino acid biochemistry.