Effect of methylene blue on the disposition of ethanol

Abstract

The effect of methylene blue on the disposition of ethanol was studied in rats and humans. Methylene blue increased the metabolism of [14C]ethanol to 14CO2 in isolated hepatocytes and in intact rats by 75% and 30%, respectively. In healthy volunteers, methylene blue did not affect the pharmacokinetics of ethanol and did not alleviate the ethanol-induced NAD redox changes as reflected by the increase in the [lactate]/[pyruvate] ratio.