Other Alcohols and Related Compounds

• Author: James G. Wigmore
• Pages: 419-446

 419

 

Other Alcohols and Related Compounds

The other common alcohols such as isopropyl (rubbing) or methyl

(wood) alcohol are covered brief‌ly in this chapter. In addition, the major

metabolite of ethyl alcohol (acetaldehyde) as well as acetone (ACT) and

ethylene glycol (EG) are included.

8.01 ACETALDEHyDE

Acetaldehyde is readily formed in vitro from alcohol in whole blood sam-

ples (). Elevated blood acetaldehyde concentrations can result from

the consumption of alcohol and the use of disulf‌ira m (Antabuse) or cal-

cium carbimide (CC) as the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetic acid is

inhi bited (–).

CHCHOH → CHCHO × CHCOOH → CO + HO

A fatal case of disulf‌iram-alcohol interaction has been reported

(). The consumption of inky cap mushrooms also causes a di-

sulf‌iram ef‌fect (). The variation in enzymatic metabolism of al-

cohol—higher blood acetaldehyde concentrations occur in many Asian

people—has been found to cause a reduction in alcohol consumption

similar to the disulf‌iram ef‌fect (). Some symptoms caused by ele-

vated blood acetaldehyde concentrations are the following:

• Pronounced f‌lushing of face and body

• Increase in heart rate

• Palpitation s

• Decrease i n blood pressure

420  Wigmore on Alcohol

Reference Number: 

• Nausea

• Dizziness

Reference Number: 

, ... “Problems and Pitfalls in Acetaldehyde Determination.”

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, : –,  ( tables,

 references)

Abstract: Artifactual formation of acetaldehyde occurs in blood. It is

recommended that blood be de-proteinized rapidly ( seconds) after

collection to avoid these problems.

The determination of acetaldehyde in biologic samples is compli cated

by a variety of formation and disappearance reac tions occurring in the

present methods of acetaldehyde analyses. The acetal dehyde formation

(ethanol oxidation) in deproteinized supernatant of tissue preparations

is prevented by the use of thiourea. During deproteinization, however,

it is not inhibited by thiourea, and this remains the main problem in

blood acetaldehyde determinations.

Reference Number: 

, .., . , . ,  . . “Time Course of

Breath Acetaldehyde Concentrations during Intravenous Infusions of

Ethanol in Healthy Men.” Drugs and Alcohol Dependence : –,

 ( f‌igures,  references)

Abstract: Acetaldehyde determination in biological samples is a simple

procedure, but artifacts can occur in whole blood. In this study, four

healthy men were given % ethanol intravenously (IV). Giving ethanol

IV eliminates any possible mouth alcohol ef‌fects. The breath-blood acet-

aldehyde ratio was :. Breath contained approximately , times

more ethanol than aceta ldehyde.

The breath acetaldehyde time course followed the changes in blood and

breath ethanol for widely varying infusio n regimens. Breath analysis is a

useful analytical technique bec ause serial determinations can be made

every – min and the results ref‌lect, at least in par t, the concentration

of free acetaldehyde in the pulmonary arte rial blood and therefore the

central nervous system. This a ssumes that acetaldehyde freely passes

the blood-brain barrier, although this may not be so.