Transport of acetaldehyde in red blood cells.

Alcohol intake caused a much greater elevation of acetaldehyde in red blood cells than in plasma. During ethanol oxidation, most of this metabolite was released from the splanchnic areas and circulated reversibly bound to intracellular components of the erythrocyte. Acetaldehyde was then taken up by extra-splanchnic tissues from both plasma and erythrocytes. Thus, an amount of acetaldehyde much larger than previously thought by measurements in plasma becomes available to exert extra-splanchnic toxicity. The contribution of this route for acetaldehyde transport is markedly enhanced in alcoholics.