Combined effect of a small dose of ethanol and 36 hr fasting on blood-glucose response, breath-acetone profiles and platelet function in healthy men.

Six healthy men drank 0.25 g/kg ethanol after an overnight fast (12 hr) and the same dose was consumed again after a further 24 hr fasting. The concentration of ethanol and acetone in end-expired alveolar air was determined at 15 min intervals for 3 hr after ethanol intake by a gas chromatographic method. Before drinking and 30 and 90 min thereafter blood samples were taken for determination of glucose, ADP-induced platelet aggregation and associated thromboxane (TXB2) formation. The breath-ethanol time course was virtually identical after 12 and 36 hr fasting and the peak concentration occurred 30 min after drinking. Fasting for 36 hr caused a 20-fold increase in breath-acetone levels. Under these conditions, i.e. after 12 and 36 hr fasting, the hypoglycemic response to ethanol intake was 10 and 25%, while the antiketogenic response was 38 and 16%, respectively. ADP-induced platelet aggregation and associated TXB2 formation showed wide interindividual variations, but no definite effects of ethanol, hypoglycemia or metabolic acidosis were observed. Platelet function was not significantly influenced by ingestion of a small dose of ethanol after prolonged fasting.