Acetaldehyde physiological effects

Most people have two forms of the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, a low K jyi mitochondrial form and a high K jy[ cytosolic form. In susceptible persons, the mitochondrial enzyme is less active due to the substitution of a single amino acid, and acetaldehyde is processed only by the cytosolic enzyme. Because this enzyme has a high K ]y[, less acetaldehyde is converted into acetate excess acetaldehyde escapes into the blood and accounts for the physiological effects. 

Because this enzyme has a high Km, it achieves a high rate of catalysis only at very high concentrations of acetaldehyde. Consequently, less acetaldehyde is converted into acetate excess acetaldehyde escapes into the blood and accounts for the physiological effects. 

The Pictet-Spengler reactions between epinephrine (noradrenalin) and formaldehyde and acetaldehyde have been investigated. The products from the reaction with acetaldehyde (Scheme 45) may be responsible for some of the physiological effects of ethanol. 

Antabuse inhibits aldehyde dehydrogenase, the enzyme responsible for oxidizing acetaldehyde to acetic acid, resulting in a buildup of acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde causes the unpleasant physiological effects of intoxication intense flushing, nausea, dizziness, sweating, throbbing headaches, decreased blood pres-... 

The effect is mainly due to the inhibition of NAD+-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) which causes an accumulation of acetaldehyde in the body after ethanol ingestion [17]. The compound responsible for the physiological activity of C. atramentarius is coprine 16, a AT -(l-hydroxycyclopropyl)-L-glutamic acid amide which has been isolated and synthesized, [16a,b]. Thus, when fed... 

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