Role of arachidonic acid metabolites in ethanol vasoaction in rat gastric submucosa.

By use of an in vivo microscopy technique in the anesthetized rat, the effect of 0.5-8.0% ethanol on gastric submucosal blood vessel diameter was studied. The direct application of ethanol onto the exposed submucosal vasculature caused a dose-dependent dilatation of the arterioles (9 +/- 3% by 2% ethanol) but had no effect on venular diameter. In rats pretreated with 5 mg/kg indomethacin subcutaneously to inhibit cyclooxygenase activity, the submucosal application of ethanol caused dose-dependent constriction of both arterioles and venules (2% ethanol decreasing diameters by 21 +/- 3 and 15 +/- 2%, respectively). This constriction by ethanol in indomethacin-pretreated rats was significantly inhibited by BW755C, a lipoxygenase inhibitor. Under these conditions, 2% ethanol had no significant effect on either arterioles or venules. In conclusion, ethanol appears to cause release of vasodilating prostaglandins and vasoconstricting leukotrienes that may mediate or modulate the microvascular response to ethanol.