EFFECT OF DIET AND DISULFIRAM ON ACETALDEHYDE BLOOD-LEVELS AFTER ETHANOL IN UCHA AND UCHB RATS

Acetaldehyde (AcH) levels in blood samples taken from different zones of the vascular system 2 h after a p.o. dose of ethanol (2.76 g/kg) we re studied in UChA (low ethanol consumer) and UChB (high ethanol consu mer) rats fed a diet devoid of animal products, diet 1 (D1), and a die t containing fish meal, diet 2 (D2), and in rats pretreated with disul firam (600 mg/kg p.o.). The results showed that, while there is no sig nificant difference between UChA and UChB rats fed D1 with respect to blood AcH levels and the basal activity of the hepatic mitochondrial h igh-affinity aldehyde dehydrogenase (AlDH), a significant strain diffe rence was observed in rats fed D2, which induced high blood AcH levels in UChA rats but not in UChB ones. No strain differences were observe d in blood ethanol levels in the two groups of rats. When rats fed D1 were pretreated with disulfiram, the raising of AcH blood levels induc ed by ethanol after disulfiram was significantly higher in UChA than i n UChB rats in suprahepatic vein, femoral vein, and tail blood. This d ifference was concomitant with a greater inhibition of the hepatic mit ochondrial high-affinity AlDH activity in UChA rats than in UChB ones, whether disulfiram was administered in vivo or in vitro, which exclud ed the possibility that the strain difference would be caused by a dif ferent bioavailability of disulfiram.