Ether inhibition of ethanol metabolism in isolated rat liver parenchymal cells

The effect of diethyl ether on ethanol metabolism was studied in isolated rat hepatocytes and ether was found to inhibit ethanol oxidation in a dose-dependent manner. At ethanol concentrations of approximately 30 mM, diethyl ether inhibited ethanol oxidation by approximately 58%, 40%, and 20% at ether concentrations of 30, 20, and 10 mM, respectively. This inhibition was also seen at a low ethanol concentration (5.4 mM) and in pyruvate (5 mM)-stimulated hepatocytes which exhibited increased rates of ethanol metabolism closer to in vivo rates. Accumulation of acetaldehyde from ethanol in cyanamide (400 micron M)-treated hepatocyte suspensions was also reduced by approximately 16% by 30 mM ether. It was concluded that inhibition of ethanol metabolism by diethyl ether might be of practical importance in studies of ethanol metabolism in ether anesthetized animals.