AIMS This study aimed at comparing the cerebral cytotoxicity of ethanol and its main metabolite acetaldehyde after acute or chronic exposures of rat astrocytes in primary culture. METHODS Cytotoxicity was evaluated on the cell reduction of viability (MTT reduction test) and on the characterization of DNA damage by single cell gel electrophoresis (or comet assay). RESULTS Changes in astrocyt...

The adsorption and surface reactions of acetaldehyde at 300–673 K on TiO2, CeO2 and Al2O3 were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy. Acetaldehyde adsorbs molecularly in two forms on the surfaces: (i) in a less stable H-bridge bonded form and (ii) in a more stable form adsorbed on Lewis sites through one of the oxygen lone pairs. Both forms of molecularly...

BACKGROUND It has recently been reported that acetaldehyde induces bronchoconstriction indirectly via histamine release. However, no study has been performed to assess whether acetaldehyde worsens bronchial responsiveness in asthmatic subjects so this hypothesis was tested. METHODS Methacholine provocation was performed on three occasions: (1) after pretreatment with oral placebo and inhaled ...

Alcohol intake is one of the important lifestyle factors for the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Acetaldehyde, the major ethanol metabolite which is far more reactive than ethanol, has been postulated to participate in alcohol-induced tissue injury although its direct impact on insulin signaling is unclear. This study was designed to examine the effect of acetaldehyde on glucose...

Interactions between E-cadherin, beta-catenin and PTP1B (protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B) are crucial for the organization of AJs (adherens junctions) and epithelial cell-cell adhesion. In the present study, the effect of acetaldehyde on the AJs and on the interactions between E-cadherin, beta-catenin and PTP1B was determined in Caco-2 cell monolayers. Treatment of cell monolayers with acetalde...

Acetaldehyde is a volatile flavor compound present in many fermented foods and is important in the production of red and white wines. Nine strains of the genera Lactobacillus and Oenococcus were able to metabolize acetaldehyde in a resting cell system, whereas two Pediococcus strains were not. Acetic acid and ethanol were produced from its degradation. A Lactobacillus and an Oenococcus were abl...

As with many events in the history of science, the development of the hypothesis that acetaldehyde is a plausible psychoactive substance with specific central effects (not related to its toxicity) has not been either incremental or progressive. Rather, it has evolved through a process of fits and starts. Initial clinical observations suggesting that accumulation of acetaldehyde could be used as...

Acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct of alcohol (i.e., ethanol) metabolism, has long been suspected of causing at least some of the central nervous system actions of ethanol. However, the data to support such a hypothesis have been difficult to obtain. One roadblock is the very low blood levels of acetaldehyde following ethanol intake and the finding that even elevated acetaldehyde levels in the blo...

Viable Saccharomyces cerevisiae suspended in medium containing growth-inhibiting concentrations of ethanol produce a metabolite that relieves growth inhibition. This autoconditioning of the medium by yeasts is due to the formation of small amounts (0.01%, vol/vol) of acetaldehyde. The effect is duplicated precisely in fresh medium by the addition of acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde does not increase ...

Alcohol-induced cirrhosis results partially from the excessive production of collagen matrix proteins, which, predominantly alphaI(I) collagen, are produced and secreted by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC). The accumulation of alphaI(I) collagen in HSC during cirrhosis is largely due to an increase in alphaI(I) collagen gene expression. Acetaldehyde, the major active metabolite of alcohol...