[Dopamine content in blood and activity of alcohol-transforming enzymes in alcoholism]

An increase of alcohol dehydrogenase activity is observed in patients with chronic alcoholism at the first stage of the disease under normal indices of activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase, aspartate- and alanine aminotransferase and thymol sample that evidences for the induction of alcohol dehydrogenase synthesis in the liver. At the second stage of alcoholism the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase, aspartate- and alanine aminotransferase, the index of thymol sample increase while activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase decreases that indicates to organic destructive changes in the liver. At the third stage of alcoholism one can observe the decrease in activity of alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase and alanine aminotransferase relative to activity of these enzymes at the second stage, that can evidence for the increase of the possibility of the processes of synthesis of the liver. The correlation of alcohol dehydrogenase activity to that of aldehyde dehydrogenase in the process of formation and development of alcoholism is shifted towards the progressive accumulation of acetaldehyde. Parallel increase of dopamine concentration in blood creates conditions for formation of morphine-like alcaloides--products of condensation of acetaldehide with dopamine.