THE EFFECTS OF ACUTE AND CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ETHANOL ON GLUCOSE UPTAKE BY RAT JEJUNAL BRUSH‐BORDER MEMBRANE VESICLES

Rats were pair-fed for 28-32 days a nutritionally adequate liquid control diet or an isocaloric diet containing ethanol (5 % v/v). Brush-border membrane vesicles were prepared from jejunal mucosa and Na+-dependent D-glucose accumulation was measured using sugar concentrations of 0·2-1·0 mmol l−1. In separate experiments the effects of acute ethanol exposure on glucose uptake by vesicles prepared from chow-fed rats were determined. Chronic ethanol ingestion enhanced Na+-gradient-dependent glucose uptake. In contrast, incubation of vesicles with alcohol (4 % v/v). reduced active uptake of the sugar.