THE PULMONARY ETHANOL METABOLIZING SYSTEM (PET)

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 39  (1) , 49-67
Abstract
Rat lung slices incubated in a Krebs ringer bicarbonate buffer respired at 0.62 .mu.mol/g lung .times. min. Respiration was inhibited by cyanide and stimulated by dinitrophenol. PET [pulmonary ethanol metabolizing system] was insensitive to the action of pyrazole, cyanide or azide. Lung microsomes metabolized ethanol at rates which were < 1% of PET. They showed an apparent Km for ethanol of the order of 10 mM and a Vmax of .apprx. 7 nmol acetaldehyde/mg protein .times. min. Oxidation of ethanol by lung slices to acetaldehyde and CO2 was < 0.3 and 1.15% than PET, respectively. Chromatographic determination of the products of ethanol metabolism by lung slices showed that a metabolite similar to glucuronic acid was formed. PET is a nonoxidative process which apparently involves the formation of ethyl glucuronide.