Effect of Methanol, N‐Propanol and Acetaldehyde on Oxygen Uptake and on Blood Glucose Concentration in Anesthetized Rabbits

Increases in oxygen uptake and in blood glucose concentration after ethanol administration have recently been demonstrated in urethane‐anesthetized rabbits. The present experiments were performed to determine whether substances related to ethanol produce similar effects. The substances were infused intravenously. — Methanol and n‐propanol did not affect the oxygen uptake in doses comparable to the effective ethanol doses. This suggests that the effect of ethanol on oxygen uptake is not common to lower primary alcohols. Acetaldehyde, the chief primary ethanol metabolite, increased oxygen uptake in a smaller dose. It is tentatively suggested that acetaldehyde is involved in the production of increased oxygen uptake noted after ethanol. – Blood glucose increased only after methanol administration. The increase was not abolished by ganglionic blockade, suggesting that methanol and ethanol raise the blood glucose level via different mechanisms.