Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access originally published online on July 28, 2007
Alcohol and Alcoholism 2007 42(6):529-532; doi:10.1093/alcalc/agm059
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Ethanol oxidation in the living brain
Grodno State Medical University, Grodno, 230015, Belarus
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed at: Grodno State Medical University, 80 Gorkogo Street, Grodno, 230015, Belarus. Tel: (375) (152)742492; Fax: (375) (152)335341; E-mail: zimatkin{at}grsmu.by
Received 30 June 2006; first review notified 1 August 2006; in revised form 2 January 2007; accepted 4 June 2007
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Abstract |
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Aim: The examination of the possibility of ethanol oxidation in the brain in vivo and the evaluation of the enzyme catalase in this process. Methods: We anesthetized rats and perfused the brain with ethanol solutions through the lateral ventricle and collected the perfusate from the Cisterna magna. We determined ethanol and acetaldehyde in the perfusate by gas chromatography. Results: It was found that the passage of ethanol solution (85 and 90 mM) through the ventricular system of the rat brain (6–43 µl/min) results in the significant (up to 98%) elimination of ethanol from the perfusing fluid and in the appearance of acetaldehyde (up-to 60 µM) in the perfusate. The addition of the catalase inhibitor, aminotriazole, (10 mM) to the perfusing fluid decreased ethanol elimination significantly. Conclusions: The ethanol oxidation and AA accumulation take place in the living brain. The enzyme catalase is involved in this process.