Effects of fructose, glucose, and mixed sugars on ethanol detoxification and blood glucose response in rats.

Rats were starved for 15 h before being given 3.0 g/kg of either fructose, glucose or mixed sugars (mainly fructose and glucose) followed 15 min later by 2.0 g/kg ethanol. Control rats were pretreated with 0.9% w/v NaCl. In one series of tests the sugars and the ethanol were given by stomach tube (p.o.) and in another series they were given by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. Administration of sugars p.o. impaired absorption of ethanol and led to lower peak blood concentrations: fructose (0.88 mg/ml), glucose (1.21 mg/ml) mixture (1.10 mg/ml) and saline control (1.57 mg/ml). The time to zero blood-ethanol concentrations was shortened after giving the sugars: fructose (339 min), glucose (350 min), mixture (341 min), saline (386 min). Intraperitoneal injection of sugars had no marked effect on i.p. absorption of ethanol or on peak blood concentrations reached, but the time to zero blood ethanol was shortened: fructose (336 min), glucose (361 min), mixture (347 min), and saline (389 min). The blood glucose peak response was highest after pure glucose treatment although after fructose the elevated level was sustained for longer. Ethanol caused a hypoglycemic response in rats given the saline control pretreatment. Fructose p.o. proved the most effective of the sugars in antagonizing blood-ethanol profiles. This resulted from a combined effect of delaying the absorption of ethanol from the gut and accelerating its removal from the blood.