Background: Ethanol ingestion may disturb fat digestion and absorption by affecting gastric, intestinal, hepatic, and pancreatic functions. Involved mechanisms are not well understood. We examined in vitro ethanol effects on gastric and pancreatic lipolytic activity.
Methods: Human gastric juice, pure gastric lipase, pancreatic lipase, colipase, carboxyl ester lipase, phospholipase A2, and duodenal contents were a) preincubated at 37 degrees C with ethanol (0-30%) and then assayed under normal conditions (pH-stat titration), or b) assayed in the presence of various ethanol concentrations (0-30%).
Results: Ethanol reduced gastric and pancreatic lipolytic activities in a dose-dependent manner. The effect was more pronounced with alcohol present in the assay medium, with 5% ethanol reducing carboxyl ester lipase activity by 10%, gastric lipase activity by 20%, and pancreatic lipase activity by 46%. Colipase and phospholipase A2 activities were only slightly affected by ethanol.
Conclusions: Observed effects of ethanol on gastric and pancreatic lipase may be important when fat digestion is already impaired due to gastric, intestinal hepatic, and/or pancreatic diseases.