Rats were treated for 5 days with benfluorex [1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2-[N-(2-benzoyloxyethyl)amino]propane] or with suspending medium (controls). They were then intubated with an acute intoxicating dose of ethanol or with glucose of equivalent energy content. Treatment of the control rats with ethanol specifically increases the hepatic activity of the soluble phosphatidate phosphohydrolase by about 5-fold in 6 h. The equivalent increase for the benfluorex-treated rats were about 2-fold. The results are discussed in relation to the effects of ethanol and benfluorex on glycerolipid synthesis.
