Enhancement of aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in rat liver by clofibrate feeding.

Treatment over a 3-week period of male rats with the hypolipidemic drug clofibrate results in a more than twofold increase of aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in liver homogenate and mitochondrial fraction. As a comparable rise is also found in the postmitochondrial fraction, it is suggested that not only the mitochondrial but also the microsomal moiety of aldehyde dehydrogenase is induced by clofibrate. Possibly the known enhancement of ethanol catabolism and some protective effect on the liver of clofibrate-treated animals is due, at least in part, to the increased acetaldehyde oxidation by liver aldehyde dehydrogenase.