Action of intragastric ethanol on pancreatic exocrine secretion in relation to the interdigestive gastrointestinal motility in humans

On different days, fasted volunteers were given either 100 ml of ethanol (40% v/v), glucose (isocaloric to ethanol) or distilled water intragastrically; the instillations always starting during the first observed duodenal phase I of the interdigestive migrating complex (IMC). Both ethanol and glucose produced a fed pattern of motility but only glucose significantly (P less than 0.05) delayed the reappearance of a new duodenal phase III of the IMC when compared to water. Ethanol and glucose significantly increased the 1-h duodenal bicarbonate output 7- and 16-fold, respectively. Glucose, but not ethanol, stimulated the duodenal amylase output when compared to water. Glucose, but not ethanol, caused a significant rise in plasma gastrin concentration; plasma secretin levels not being altered by both substances. We conclude that in non-alcoholic humans, an intragastric administration of ethanol in a concentration present in whisky and in an amount that is consumed in ordinary social drinking has a weak stimulatory action on pancreatic bicarbonate secretion and that this action is not mediated by release of secretin.