New inhibitors of alcohol dehydrogenase: studies in vivo and in vitro in the rat.

Two compounds bearing an amide group, p-butoxyphenol acetamide (BPA) and N-(p-butoxybenzyl)formamide (BBF) were studied as inhibitors of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and their action compared with that of 4-methyl-pyrazole (4-MP), a known inhibitor of this enzyme. In vitro studies on pure horse liver ADH showed that BPA and BBF were noncompetitive inhibitors with respect to ethanol and that their Ki values were 22 and 0.14 micrometer, respectively. The apparent Ki values of BPA and BBF for rat liver ADH were found to be 90 and 2.3 micrometers, respectively (noncompetitive inhibition). Several in vivo experiments were carried out in the rat. Administration intraperitoneally of the substance (460 mumol/kg) 1 hr before intraperitoneal injection of alcohol (2 g/kg body weight) led to a significant decrease in ethanol catabolism. Injection of the substances at 460 mumol/kg brought about a decrease in rat liver ADH activity, but the activity of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase was only decreased in animals treated with BBF.