Studies on the Disulfiram-Ethanol Reaction

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In white rats the duration and intensity of the disulfiram (Antabuse) sensitization to alcohol was proportional to the dosage of disulfiram administered. The daily administration of both disulfiram and ethanol produced a progressive increase in the intensity and duration of the disulf iram-ethanol reaction (DER). Although acetaldehyde is produced during the DER: and its administration reproduces some of the signs of theDER,the toxicity of acetaldehyde was not increased by prior administration of disulfiram. These data, when considered with observations by other investigators, indicate that the DER cannot be explained solely by the accumulation of acetaldehyde and may, therefore, depend upon the presence of all three substances and their metabolities. Since the toxicities of methanol and isopropanol, respectively, are also increased by disulfiram, the basic factor might be an increased metabolism of disulfiram in the presence of lower alcohols, particularly ethanol. Among the possible metabolites of disulfiram, CS2 and CN could produce the protean toxic effects caused by disulfiram. The appearance of the DER may show inter- and intraspecific variation due to the variation among organisms in their response to these substances. The practice of frequent test-dosing of disulfiram-treated patients with ethanol is not without danger and should be discouraged.
Keywords

This publication has 12 references indexed in Scilit: