Alcoholysis of the endogenous phosphate esters in rats treated with large doses of ethanol.

1. Monoethyl phosphate was isolated from the liver of rats treated with large doses of ethanol. The (14)C- and (32)P-labelled products were obtained when [2-(14)C]ethanol and [(32)P]orthophosphate respectively were used as the radioactive precursors. 2. The isolated ethyl phosphate preparations were identified by their chemical properties, chromatographic behaviour and enzymic hydrolysis, which, for the (14)C-labelled substrate, resulted in a partial recovery of the administered [(14)C]ethanol. 3. The possibility of artifact formation of ethyl phosphate was excluded by suitable control experiments. 4. It is concluded that ethyl phosphate formed in vivo may be a product of phosphate-catalysed alcoholysis of various phosphate esters. The physiological significance of the possible substitution of water by ethanol in reactions catalysed by hydrolytic enzymes under conditions of acute body intoxication with the alcohol is emphasized.