Immunohistochemical localization of alcohol dehydrogenase in the human gastrointestinal tract

To elucidate the possible role of alcohol dehydrogenase in the generation of damages caused by alcohol abuse, it is important to know the exact localization of this enzyme. Anti-alcohol dehydrogenase antibodies were used to localize the enzyme in human gastrointestinal tissues. Alcohol dehydrogenase was detectable in the mucosa of all parts of the gastrointestinal tract. There is a notable decrease in the amount of alcohol dehydrogenase with increasing distance from the stomach. In the stomach, the reaction for alcohol dehydrogenase was strongest in the mucus-producing cells, moderate in the parietal cells, and weak in the chief cells. Throughout the gut, alcohol dehydrogenase was present in cells exposed to the lumen in amounts comparable to that of the parietal cells. Crypt cells and goblet cells were negative. The results strongly indicate that alcohol dehydrogenase is an intrinsic component of gastrointestinal epithelial cells.