The effects of oral and intraperitoneal administration of ethanol on the activities of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases in rats.

The activities of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases decreased significantly only in male rats, when rats of both sexes were fed a 2% sucrose solution containing 25% ethanol for six weeks. Sucrose (2%) activation of these enzymes was significant only in female rats. The daily administration of ethanol (5 g/kg body wt.) by intraperitoneal injection for two weeks significantly decreased the activities of these enzymes and eliminated the sex differences in the response to ethanol ingestion.