Influence of cefoperazone on ethanol and acetaldehyde metabolism in vitro

The effect of cefoperazone on ethanol and acetaldehyde metabolism was studied in rat liver homogenates and with a purified aldehyde dehydrogenase. Rat liver homogenates were incubated with ethanol (30 mM) alone or in combination with cefoperazone (15 or 150 micrograms/g liver). Ethanol and acetaldehyde concentrations were determined at 6, 12, 18 and 24 minutes. Cefoperazone added to the incubation medium inhibited ethanol and acetaldehyde metabolism in a concentration-dependent manner. The addition of cefoperazone to rat liver homogenates incubated with acetaldehyde (300 microM), however, did not inhibit acetaldehyde disappearance for a period of 15 minutes. Purified aldehyde dehydrogenase was incubated with 300 microM acetaldehyde. When cefoperazone was added, acetaldehyde disappearance was significantly slower than without cefoperazone. The data indicate that cefoperazone inhibits ethanol metabolism in rat liver homogenates in a concentration-dependent manner. The effect of the antibiotic on acetaldehyde elimination in liver homogenate, however, depends on the concentration of acetaldehyde in the medium. The acetaldehyde dehydrogenase obtained from yeast is inhibited by cefoperazone.