Effect of ethanol on calcium metabolism in rat erythrocyte ghosts.

A metallochromic indicator dye Arsenazo III (Az) was employed to study the effect of ethanol on calcium metabolism in rat erythrocyte ghosts. Addition of 10-150 mM ethanol to a ghost suspension induced a concentration dependent increase in calcium-Arsenazo III (Ca-Az) complex absorbance. Similar results were obtained when ghost suspensions contained (1-10 mM) theophylline. The effect of both, ethanol and theophylline was not observed if the ghosts were pre-treated with 50 microM dantrolene. Theophylline has been reported to stimulate the intracellular release of calcium in a number of cell types and the drug dantrolene is known to inhibit the intracellular release of calcium from the skeletal muscle and nerve cells. These results suggest that ethanol may release calcium from intracellular sites in these ghosts.