Alcohol, amines, and alkaloids: a possible biochemical basis for alcohol addiction.
Tetrahydropapaveroline is a benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloidderivative of the biogenic amine, dopnmine. Alcohol, by way of its primary metabolite, acetaldehyde, competitively inhibits nicotinamide-adenine Sinucleotide-linked aldehyde dehydrogenase and augments the formation of tetrahydropapaveroline in vitro. The limited capacity of brain to oxidize aldehydes may be of pharmacological importance because it facilitates the production of tetrahydropapaveroline in the presence of drugs which inhibit this enzyme.
D000085:Acetates / Q000494:pharmacology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000209:etiology*; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001669:Biochemical Phenomena; D001671:Biochemistry; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000378:metabolism*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010208:Papaverine / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
D000085:Acetates; D000447:Aldehydes; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D000431:Ethanol; D010208:Papaverine; D004298:Dopamine