Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site wivax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!wivax!dyer
From: dyer@wivax.UUCP (Stephen Dyer)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Formaldehyde in beer
Message-ID: <18953@wivax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 11-Nov-83 00:55:55 EST
Article-I.D.: wivax.18953
Posted: Fri Nov 11 00:55:55 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 11-Nov-83 08:03:07 EST
References: <1996@gatech.UUCP>, <516@ariel.UUCP>
Organization: Wang Institute, Tyngsboro, Ma.  01879
Lines: 18

Ethanol is oxidized to acetaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase, 
and thence almost immediately converted to acetyl coenzyme A,
a component in the Krebs cycle, where it participates
in normal carbohydrate metabolism.  Thus, there is no accumulation
of acetaldehyde in normal subjects, even when they are intoxicated.

Alcoholics given the aversive drug, disulfiram, become acutely ill
when they drink alcohol, because it inhibits aldehyde dehydrogenase,
the enzyme which detoxifies acetaldehyde.  If an aldehyde like
acetaldehyde is a cross-linking agent, then perhaps one might see
this effect in experimental animals given alcohol and disulfiram.
I know that people have pointed the finger at formaldehyde, but
that may be because it's a double aldehyde, symmetric around its
single carbon atom.  Acetaldehyde should be much less reactive.
I don't know of any studies, though.

Steve Dyer
decvax!bbncca!sdyer