Ethanol oxidation: effect on the redox state of brain in mouse

Administration of a single large dose of ethanol to mice results in increases, for concentrations in the brain, of ratios of lactate to pyruvate, of aglycerophosphate to dihydroxyacetone phosphate, of malate to oxaloacetate, and of glutamate to the product of alpha-ketoglutarate and ammonium ion. These changes are noticed as early as 5 minutes after the single dose is given. Ethanol administration for 30 days also produces these changes in metabolite concentrations in the brain. However, in contrast to the single alcohol dose, long-term alcohol administration results in a marked decrease in the concentration of adenosine triphosphate in brain and increases in those of adenosine diphosphate and adenosine monophosphate. Pyrazole, an inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, prevents the effects of ethanol on the concentration of brain metabolites. These results may provide new insight into the biochemical and pharmacological effects of alcohol on brain metabolism and the importance of alcohol dehydrogenase activity in the brain.