Elimination of Ethanol as a Measure of the Hepatic Blood Flow in the Cat

Abstract L arsen , J. A. Elimination of ethanol as a measure of the hepatic blood flow in the cat. II. The significance of the extrahepatic elimination of ethanol . Acta physiol. scand. 1963. 57 . 209—223. — The metabolism of ethanol following continuous infusion of small amounts of ethanol has been studied in thirteen cats. By changing the amount of ethanol infused per minute at least once in the same experiment an extrahepatic elimination of ethanol could be demonstrated, averaging 0.94 mg/min. In accordance with this result an elimination of ethanol was found in the same cats after evisceration averaging also 0.94 mg/min. Thirty five per cent of this extrahepatic elimination took place in the kidneys. The extrahepatic elimination was found to be almost constant down to arterial concentrations of about 10—15 mg/l blood. The liver blood flow has been determined by means of continuous infusion of ethanol without liver vein catheterization and a mean value of 26,8 ml/kg/min was found. Apparently the use of Nembutal or chloralose did not alter the liver blood flow, whereas a marked decrease in flow was noticed when ether was used for anesthesia.