Ethanolamine oleate is a salt of ethanolamine, a basic substance, and oleic acid. It is marketed under a trade name of Ethamoline as a sclerotic agent for the treatment of patients with esophageal varices that have recently bled, to prevent rebleeding. In vitro studies revealed that ethanolamine oleate inhibits fibrin clot formation because of the Ca2+-chelating ability of its constituent ethanolamine. Nevertheless, from in vivo studies it was suggested that intravascular injection of ethamoline activates the local coagulation system. The activation may be accelerated by an acute inflammatory process provoked by oleate, which is supported by such clinical manifestations as mild fever, retrosternal pain leukocytosis and an increase in plasma fibrinogen level.

Monoethanolamine is both a primary amine and a primary alcohol. It is an olamine derivative. Monoethanolamine occurs in every cell in the human body as the head group of Phosphatidylethanolamine. Monoethanolamine is a component of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins, which are essential for viability. Other sources of monoethanolamine or phosphoethanolamine in the human body are the degradation of sphingosine phosphate by sphingosine phosphate lyase and the degradation of the endocannabinoid anandamide by the fatty acid amine hydrolase. Monoethanolamine stimulates the rapid growth of mammalian cells in culture. Monoethanolamine has a cardioprotective role against ischemia/reperfusion injury via activation of the transcription factor STAT-3. Monoethanolamine is a chemical intermediate in the manufacture of cosmetics, surface-active agents, emulsifiers, pharmaceuticals, and plasticizing agents.

Ethyl oleate is a fatty acid ester used as a solvent for pharmaceutical drug preparations involving lipophilic substances such as steroids. In vivo studies have demonstrated that Ethyl oleate and other fatty acid esters are also rapidly hydrolyzed to ethanol and free fatty acid. Ethyl oleate is one of the fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) that is formed in the body after ingestion of ethanol. There is a growing body of research literature that implicates FAEEs such as ethyl oleate as the toxic mediators of ethanol in the body (pancreas, liver, heart, and brain). Among the speculations is that ethyl oleate may be the toxic mediator of alcohol in fetal alcohol syndrome. The oral ingestion of ethyl oleate has been carefully studied and due to rapid degradation in the digestive tract, it appears safe for oral ingestion. Ethyl oleate is not currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for any injectable use. However, it is used by compounding pharmacies as a vehicle for intramuscular drug delivery, in some cases to prepare the daily doses of progesterone in support of pregnancy. Studies which document the safe use of ethyl oleate in pregnancy for both the mother and the fetus have never been performed.