Red blood cells: a new major modality for acetaldehyde transport from liver to other tissues.

After alcohol ingestion, an amount of acetaldehyde much larger than previously appreciated by measurements in plasma is released from the splanchnic areas, travels reversibly bound to the red blood cells, and is taken up by extrahepatic tissues. The magnitude of this new modality for acetaldehyde transport is markedly enhanced in alcoholics and may contribute to acetaldehyde toxicity in extrahepatic tissues.