Effect of various central nervous system-acting drugs on ethanol and acetaldehyde metabolism in rats

Blood ethanol levels following intravenous ethanol administration were much higher during anesthesia with diethyl ether (ether), phenobarbital and pentobarbital than in unanesthetized control rats. Blood acetaldehyde levels were significantly lower during anesthesia with ether. Ether inhibited alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activities in vitro in an uncompetitive fashion; Ki, ether concentration which produced 50% inhibition of NADH formation, was 9.7 mM. Pentobarbital produced slight elevations of ADH activities in vitro and phenobarbital had no effects. Acetaldehyde levels during anesthesia with phenobarbital and pentobarbital were slightly higher than in unanesthetized animals. Phenobarbital and pentobarbital inhibited aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activities in vitro in a noncompetitive fashion; Ki were 29 and 37 mM, respectively. Ether did not influence ALDH activities in vitro. Thus, pentobarbital was suggested as the most appropriate anesthetic agent in such animal experiments.