The correlation of ethanol-induced depression of glucose and water transport with morphological changes in the hamster jejunum in vivo.

Glucose and water transport is depressed in the hamster jejunum in vivo by ethanol (4.8%) which also produced fluid-filled blebs at the tips of the villi. The epithelial cells over the blebs appeared stretched and cuboidal, the lateral intercellular spaces (LIS) were no longer recognizable, and the lacteals were closed. Forty-five minutes after discontinuation of the ethanol, water transport returned to normal while glucose transport remained depressed. At this time the villus structure had returned to normal. The blebs had disappeared, the LIS were again recognizable, and their appearance and number were similar to those in the control animals. Thus, the depression of water transport correlated with the obvious structural changes caused by ethanol; however, the depression of glucose absorption is associated with some effect of ethanol not evident by routine light microscopy.