Effect of ethanol and other aliphatic alcohols on the intestinal transport of folates

The effect of ethanol and other aliphatic alcohols on the intestinal transport of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and folic acid was examined using everted sacs from rat jejunum. Ethanol added to the mucosal medium inhibited the transport of both folate compounds in a parallel manner, and the inhibition increased with increasing ethanol concentration (0.5-10% v/v). Ethanol at 3% v/v in the mucosal medium caused: depression in the pH dependency of the active transport of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate; higher inhibition in the transport of low concentration (0.1 microM) than high concentration (10 microM) of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and inhibition in the active accumulation against a concentration gradient of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and L-leucine. Methanol, propanol and butanol also inhibited the transport of the folate compounds; and in general, the inhibitory effect increased with the increase in the number of carbon atoms in the hydrophobic chain. This study indicates that ethanol and other alcohols inhibit the intestinal transport of folates, that the degree of inhibition is related to the concentration and chain length of the alcohol, that the inhibition is not specific for folates and finally that the mechanism of inhibition is multifactorial.