Cytoplasmic aldo-keto reductases: a class of drug metabolizing enzymes.

Aldehyde and ketone xenobiotic substances are preferentially reduced to alcohols by cytoplasmic enzymes in mammals. These enzymes are widely distributed in the tissues, have broad substrate specificities, have similar physical-chemical characteristics, and require reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide as cofactor for the reductions. These reductases define a system of detoxification for aldehyde and ketone groups.