Metabolic consequences of alcohol consumption

The metabolic effects of alcohol are closely related to organic as well as societal aspects of alcoholism. Individual differences in the biologic sensitivity to ethanol are thought to represent important features underlying these afflictions. The results of recent biomedical research provide evidence for a biochemical individuality with respect to the enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism. Human liver alcohol dehydrogenase, the principle ethanol oxidizing enzyme in man, exists in multiple molecular forms (isoenzymes). In addition, a genetic polymorphism ('atypical' variant) is observed. Large racial differences are found for the prevalence of the variant enzyme, which is characterized by a high specific activity. Possible relationships of the individual isoenzyme pattern of alcohol dehydrogenase and of other alcohol metabolizing enzymes to the nature and extent of metabolic effects of ethanol are discussed.