title: [Methanol--an up-to-now neglected constituent of all alcoholic beverages. A new biochemical approach to the problem of chronic alcoholism].
abstract: Alcoholism is usually understood as ethanolism. There is some evidence that its oxidation product acetaldehyde may condense with endogenous amines to form tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ) and - tetrahydro-beta-carboline (THBC) alkaloids which ultimately might be responsible for addiction. In most animal experiments pure ethanol solutions were fed, but chronic alcoholics prefer normal alcoholic beverages, and it is widely ignored that all these beverages without exception also contain methanol. Its metabolite formaldehyde is a much more potent reaction partner for TIQ and THBC formation than acetaldehyde. As our findings in chronic alcoholics proved that these persons in contrast to healthy subjects are able to oxidize methanol despite high ethanol levels, there must be a continuous leakage of formaldehyde. And it seems possible that methanol plays a more significant role in the pathophysiology and possibly the etiology of chronic alcoholism than ethanol.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Göttingen.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sprung
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bonte
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Lesch
mesh_terms: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology*; D002243:Carbolines / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D000432:Methanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D002243:Carbolines; D000431:Ethanol; C009804:tryptoline; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D000432:Methanol
vernacular_title: Methanol--Ein bisher verkannter Bestandteil aller alkoholischen Getränke. Eine neue biochemische Annäherung an das Problem des chronischen Alkoholismus.