Effect of acute ethanol administration on human blood aldehyde dehydrogenase activity.

The aldehyde dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.3) activity in human blood was measured after acute oral administration of two different doses of ethanol to healthy subjects. No changes in aldehyde dehydrogenase activity were observed in either of the two dose groups, as compared to control subjects receiving no ethanol. Likewise, incubation of human whole blood samples with 20 mM ethanol for 2 hr caused no change in aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. The results show that human blood aldehyde dehydrogenase activity is not affected by acute ethanol administration.