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Immunohistochemical study on acetaldehyde adducts in alcohol-fed mice
K Nakamura1, K Iwahashi, M Itoh
1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa Medical University, Japan. nk@kms.ac.jp
Background:
Acetaldehyde binds to some proteins, which results in Schiff base formation. It is assumed that acetaldehyde binds to the proteins after the consumption of ethanol, to form an adduct. Such acetaldehyde adducts are related to organ disease.
Methods:
We examined 8-week-old male BALB/c mice, which were given a liquid diet for 7 days. The diet consisted of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and a 5% (v/v) ethanol solution. After the 7 days, we took tissue samples from the brain, liver, and adrenal cortex to investigate the distribution of acetaldehyde adducts. We performed immunohistochemical staining of the cerebral cortex, liver, and adrenal cortex from the mice by using antibodies against acetaldehyde adducts.
Results:
Our study showed that acetaldehyde adducts formed in the cerebral cortex in the early phase in alcohol-fed mice.
Conclusions:
Because acetaldehyde in the liver has been shown to cause liver damage, our study suggests a relationship between acetaldehyde adducts in the brain and brain damage.