[Various causes of decreased aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in the rat liver and blood in chronic alcoholic intoxication].

Dynamics of accumulation of alcohol- and aldehyde dehydrogenases inhibitors in liver tissue of rats with chronic alcohol intoxication showed that content of the bioinhibitors of protein nature was increased during the animals alcoholization, whereas inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase was more distinct as compared with alcohol dehydrogenase. When the nature of aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor was studied using the immunoenzyme analysis, the inhibitor proved to be an autoantibody, produced in chronic alcoholization of rats as a result apparently of the enzyme modification. Titre of specific antibodies to "autoantigen" (aldehyde dehydrogenase from liver tissue of alcohol consuming rats) was 12-16-fold higher in liver tissue and blood serum of rats with alcoholism as compared with the corresponding preparations of control animals. An immuno-enzymological mechanism, responsible for an increase of acetaldehyde content in blood developed after ethanol consumption in alcoholism, is discussed.