Urinary sulfur containing metabolites after administration of ethanol, acetaldehyde and formaldehyde to rats.

Acetaldehyde and formaldehyde react in vitro with cysteine to form a product, probably a thiazolidine derivative, which eluted as a single peak in cation exchange chromatography. The reactivity of formaldehyde was much higher than that of acetaldehyde. Rats were injected with single dose of 7.6, 6.2 and 2.5 mmol, respectively of ethanol, acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, and urine was analysed for alkali-hydrolysable thiol groups. Acetaldehyde caused a significant increase in urinary alkali-hydrolysable thiols. Ethanol and acetaldehyde treatment stimulated the ability of the urine to catalyse the iodine-azide reaction suggesting the presence of an excess of compounds containing C-S-atoms.