IN-SITU RAT-BRAIN AND LIVER SPONTANEOUS CHEMILUMINESCENCE AFTER ACUTEETHANOL INTAKE

The influence of acute ethanol administration on the oxidative stress status of rat brain and liver was assessed by in situ spontaneous orga n chemiluminescence (CL). Brain and liver CL was significantly increas ed after acute ethanol administration to fed rats, a response that is time-dependent and evidenced at doses higher than 1 g/kg. Ethanol-indu ced CL development is faster in liver compared with brain probably due to the greater ethanol metabolic capacity of the liver, whereas the n et enhancement in brain light emission at 3 h after ethanol treatment is higher than that of the liver, which could reflect the greater susc eptibility of brain to oxidative stress. The effect of ethanol on brai n and liver CL seems to be mediated by acetaldehyde, due to its abolis hment by the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor 4-methylpyrazole and exac erbation by the aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor disulfiram. In brain, these findings were observed in the absence of changes in the activit y of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathio ne reductase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. However, the cont ent of brain glutathione was significantly decreased by 31% by ethanol , thus establishing an enhanced oxidative stress in this tissue. (C) 1 997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.