Effects of intravenous alcohol on pancreatic and biliary secretion in man

Two groups of men, nonalcoholics (mean daily alcohol consumption less than 40 g) and alcoholics (mean daily alcohol consumption greater than 100 g) were compared with respect to the effects of intravenous ethanol on hormonally (secretin + CCK) submaximally stimulated pancreatic and bile secretion and chymotrypsin secretion during the basal state and after a Lundh test meal. Intravenous ethanol injection (600 mg/kg) significantly decreased pancreatic secretion of lipase (-74%), chymotrypsin (-78%), volume (-53%), and bicarbonate (-58%) in nonalcoholic but not in alcoholic men: The secretory pattern of the exocrine pancreatic response to an intravenous infusion of ethanol was therefore changes by the regular consumption of ethanol. The chymotrypsin concentration during the basal state was higher in alcoholic than in nonalcoholic men. This difference progressively disappeared after a test meal showing that chronic alcohol consumption modifies more basal than meal-stimulated pancreatic secretion.