Hypothesis: metabolic activity of the colonic bacteria influences organ injury from ethanol

Incubation of human fecal homogenates with ethanol (0.078 gm per dl) resulted in accumulation of increased quantities of higher alcohols and other unidentified metabolites when compared with homogenates incubated without ethanol. Studies in rats demonstrated nearly perfect equilibration between blood and colonic luminal ethanol suggesting that the colonic flora in alcoholics is chronically exposed to ethanol concentrations in the range used in the homogenate experiments. The higher alcohols produced by the homogenates were rapidly absorbed from the colon. We hypothesize that, when exposed to ethanol, the colonic flora produced toxic compounds which are absorbed and influence the body's response to ingested ethanol. Individual differences in this bacterial metabolism may account for the wide individual differences in susceptibility to ethanol-related organ injury.