Acute pretreatment with pyrazole and ethanol: effects on glucose-induced changes in insulin and glucagon

Ethanol suppressed, in a dose-related manner, glucose-induced insulin (IRI) release and thus delayed the disappearance of glucose from the blood of rats. Pretreatment with pyrazole, an alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor, exacerbated the effect of ethanol on IRI release, glucose tolerance and glucagon (IRG) release. These results suggest that ethanol produces glucose intolerance by inhibiting glucose-induced IRI release and by augmenting IRG release. Moreover, these findings indicate that ethanol does not have to be metabolized completely in order to produce these effects.