Abstract
Liver aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity was found to be two-fold greater in pregnant (days 16–20 of gestation) mice than in non-pregnant controls. A subcellular fractionation revealed that the increase in ALDH activity was confined to the cystosolic fraction of the liver. Kinetic characterization of partially purified liver ALDH revealed similar K m values for either acetaldehyde or propionaldehyde in pregnant and non-pregnant animals. The similarity of apparent K m values suggests that the increase in cytosolic ALDH may involve induction of a normally present ALDH isozyme, rather than originating from synthesis of a new enzyme. Induction of liver ALDH was found to significantly decrease blood acetaldehyde concentrations in pregnant mice receiving 2.0 or 3.0 g/kg ethanol when compared to the respective control (non-pregnant) animals. However, differences in blood acetaldehyde levels measured in pregnant and control animals were not apparent when blood ethanol concentrations were below 40 μmol/ml.
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