The association of age with the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase in human liver.

Ethanol is principally oxidized in the liver by the cytosolic enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). We have examined the effect of age and sex on alcohol dehydrogenase activities in human liver obtained from 16 healthy subjects, age range 45-88 years. There was no correlation between ADH activity, whether expressed as activity per mg cytosolic protein or per gram wet weight liver, and age. Activities were similar in men and women. These results suggest that, in common with activities of other hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes, age has no effect upon the activity of ADH in human liver.