Studies were conducted to determine the mechanism whereby ethanol alters the hepatic disposition of propranolol. In eight isolated perfused rat livers, ethanol (mean = 40.1 mmol/l diminished the clearance of dl-propranolol (1.93 +/- 0.43 to 1.24 +/- 0.22 ml/min/g liver, p less than 0.05); increased its t1/2 (12.8 +/- 1.5 to 20.7 +/- 3.25 min, p less than 0.01); and decreased the proportion metabolized (68.7 +/- 4.7% to 34.3 +/- 10.3%, p less than 0.01). These results suggest that ethanol could substantially increase the oral bioavailability of propranolol in humans. However, in normal human volunteers administered 80 mg of propranolol orally, alone, or preceded and followed by ethanol to maintain breath ethanol concentrations of 800-1000 mg/l, increases in propranolol AUC were smaller than anticipated. Seven subjects had increases in free propranolol AUC0-8h (32%, range: 12-61%) (p less than 0.05), while total propranolol AUC0-8h increased by a mean 22% (range: -4-+49%). Propranolol free fraction varied with time and was higher after ethanol (mean = 0.090 vs 0.084) (p less than 0.077). The extent of the propranolol-induced slowing of heart rate was not influenced by ethanol (mean decrease from baseline of 13 bpm at peak propranolol effect vs 9 bpm without ethanol); mean heart rates following propranolol with ethanol were higher at all times (mean of 7.5 bpm) (p less than 0.001) than after propranolol alone. Ethanol inhibits the hepatic oxidative metabolism of propranolol in vitro; however, any effect on heart rate of higher concentrations of propranolol induced by ethanol in humans is offset by the cardio-acceleratory effect of ethanol.