Alterations in fluorinated ether anesthetics effects on heme metabolism following chronic ethanol consumption

1. The effect of enflurane or isoflurane anesthesia (1 ml/kg, i.p.) in animals chronically treated with ethanol (30%, v/v, in drinking water during a week) on heme metabolism and its regulation was investigated. 2. In those animals previously intoxicated with ethanol that received isoflurane, ALA-S activity was increased (control values: 0.071 +/- 0.022 nmol/mg, n = 10; treated animals: 0.110 +/- 0.034 nmol/mg, n = 8) and blood PBGase and deaminase were strikingly diminished (control values, n = 10: PBGase: 0.101 +/- 0.015 nmol/mg, deaminase: 0.242 +/- 0.075 nmol/mg; treated animals, n = 6: PBGase: 0.063 +/- 0.013 nmol/mg; deaminase: 0.145 +/- 0.045 nmol/mg). 3. The time-response study showed that liver ALA-S is enhanced at shorter times of anesthesia with isoflurane and that blood PBGase and deaminase appeared inhibited later in animals previously treated with ethanol. 4. Results reproduce some biochemical alterations known to occur in acute intermittent porphyria.