The Role of Acetaldehyde in the Toxicity of Tetraethylthiuram Disulfide and Alcohol; With a Method for the Determination of Acetaldehyde in 0.20 Ml. of Blood

Abstract

The effect of intraven. ferrous chloride and/or ascorbic acid on the increased concn. of acetaldehyde in the blood of rats arising from the admn. of ethyl alcohol in tetraethylthiuram disulfide-treated animals was investigated. Neither compound alone or in combination acts to reduce the acetaldehyde level of the blood. Since it has been reported that this combination effectively abolishes the clinical syndrome of "antabuse"-alcohol, the exptl. results indicate that acetaldehyde is not responsible for the toxic effects observed. Comparison is made between the symptoms elicited by acetaldehyde and "antabuse"-alcohol in human subjects to show that acetaldehyde is probably only a minor factor. A method for the determination of acetaldehyde using 0.2 ml. of blood is described.