We have previously shown that ethanol microinjection into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) elicits sympathoexcitation and hypertension in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) but not in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. In this study, evidence was sought to implicate the oxidative breakdown of ethanol in this strain-dependent hypertensive action of ethanol. Biochemical experiments re...

BACKGROUND Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is manifested as ventricular dysfunction, although its specific toxic mechanism remains obscure. This study was designed to examine the impact of enhanced acetaldehyde exposure on cardiac function via cardiac-specific overexpression of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) after alcohol intake. METHODS ADH transgenic and wild-type FVB mice were placed on a 4% alcohol...

The acetaldehyde-xanthine oxidase system in the presence and absence of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and chloride has been employed as a model of the oxygen-dependent antimicrobial systems of the PMN. The unsupplemented xanthine oxidase system was bactericidal at relatively high acetaldehyde concentrations. The bactericidal activity was inhibited by superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, the hydroxyl r...

BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption is one of the top 10 risks for the worldwide burden of disease and an established cause of head and neck cancer, as well as cancer at other sites. Acetaldehyde, the major metabolite of ethanol, reacts with DNA to produce adducts, which are critical in the carcinogenic process and can serve as biomarkers of exposure and, possibly, of disease risk. Acetaldehyde asso...

Over the last decades, post-illumination bursts (PIBs) of isoprene, acetaldehyde and green leaf volatiles (GLVs) following rapid light-to-dark transitions have been reported for a variety of different plant species. However, the mechanisms triggering their release still remain unclear. Here we measured PIBs of isoprene-emitting (IE) and isoprene non-emitting (NE) grey poplar plants grown under ...

A strong and highly significant correlation was observed between serum aspartate transaminase (AST) activity and an index of the cytotoxic activity associated with serum proteins modified by acetaldehyde in a group of 24 heavy drinkers. A weaker but significant correlation (R = 0.564, p = 0.008) was found between total serum creatine kinase activity and this index of serum cytotoxicity. As it i...

Ethanol-induced neuro-developmental abnormalities are associated with impaired insulin and IGF signaling, and increased oxidative stress in CNS neurons. We examined the roles of ethanol and its principal toxic metabolite, acetaldehyde, as mediators of impaired insulin/IGF signaling and oxidative injury in immature cerebellar neurons. Cultures were exposed to 3.5mM acetaldehyde or 50mM ethanol ±...

Short-term studies have been made on the effects of acetaldehyde on four different cell lines (clones). When the cells were exposed to relatively high concentrations of acetaldehyde, 2.0 and 8.0 mg/mI, they became fixed. Cells in 1.0 mg. and 0.5 mg. acetaldehyde per ml. did not become fixed but rounded up and detached within a few hours. In 0.05 and 0.01 mg. acetaldehyde per ml. no definite eff...

Efficient conversion of glucose to acetaldehyde is achieved by nisin-controlled overexpression of Zymomonas mobilis pyruvate decarboxylase (pdc) and Lactococcus lactis NADH oxidase (nox) in L. lactis. In resting cells, almost 50% of the glucose consumed could be redirected towards acetaldehyde by combined overexpression of pdc and nox under anaerobic conditions.