The metabolism of acetaldehyde by the brain in vivo

Abstract

The administration of ethanol to the normal rat was followed by a series of wave-like fluctuations in the acetaldehyde concentrations of blood and brain. These fluctuations lasted for about an hour and were followed by a steady decline in the acetaldehyde concentrations of both blood and brain. Fluctuations in the lactate, pyruvate, a[alpha]-oxoglutarate and NAD+ [oxidized nicotinamide dinucleotide] concentrations of brain also occurred at the same time. All returned to their normal concentrations in the steadily declining phase of the concentration-time curve for acetaldehyde. The time and phase relationship of all these oscillations and the observation that they could be eliminated by an aldehyde-dehydrogenase inhibitor suggested that the rat brain contains an aldehyde dehydrogenase; that the oxidation of acetaldehyde by the rat brain in vivo is linked through NAD [nicotinamide dinucleotide] to pyruvate reduction.