Effects of capsaicin and ethanol on hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes in rat.

Capsaicin (CAP; 50 mg/kg body wt., p.o.) and/or ethanol (EtOH; 10% (v/v) in the drinking water) were given for a period of 30 days to male rats, and changes in hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes were investigated. The EtOH alone tended to increase the microsomal parameters such as cytochrome P-450 content and enzyme activities of aniline hydroxylase, aminopyrine demethylase and UDP-glucuronyl transferase, while it did not affect the cytosolic enzyme activities of sulfotransferase and glutathione S-transferase. The administration of CAP without EtOH tended to decrease all of the parameters studied. In contrast, the ingestion of CAP with EtOH tended to increase even the elevated microsomal enzyme activities by EtOH alone. These data suggest that chronic alcohol ingestion could modify the potential for detoxification of xenobiotics in persons who regularly consume a large amount of hot peppers.