Genotype- and gender-dependent hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity in developing mice

Ethanol is metabolized in human and rodent liver primarily by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Hepatic ADH activity in adult males and females of seven inbred strains of mice was determined to examine genotype- and sex-dependent variability among the strains and the level of sexual dimorphism in each of the strains. ADH activity varied considerably among the strains, which could be categorized into high-activity strains C57BL/6, C57Brcd, and Swiss, and relatively low-activity strains C3H, CBA, and DBA. Adult Swiss, AKR, C57BL/6, and DBA females exhibited significantly higher levels of hepatic ADH than their male counterparts, whereas no gender differences were seen in C3H, CBA, and C57Brcd. Young mice of high and/or low ADH activity strains viz. C57BL/6 and C3H did not exhibit gender differences in ADH activity at weanling but the enzyme levels increased by sixth week in females and remained higher thereafter. The progeny of a high-activity strain with sexual dimorphism (C57BL/6) and a low-activity strain lacking gender difference (C3H) exhibited intermediate levels of ADH and age-dependent sexual dimorphism.