title: Interaction of ethanol with haemoglobin: implications for alcohol abuse.
abstract: Ingestion of large amounts of ethanol results in a variety of toxicological consequences of which reduced oxygen supply is a marked respiratory effect. Experimentation involving the in-vivo administration of ethanol to rats, identifies the formation of ferri-haemoprotein species and hydroxyl radicals in the liver. Our work on the in-vitro effect of ethanol on oxyhaemoglobin shows the formation of ferri-haemoglobin and the alpha-hydroxyethyl radical as an intermediate. The impairment of oxygen transport efficiency of haemoglobin may be a result of its oxidation to the non-functional ferrihaemoglobin form.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Taiwo
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Symons
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins; D000431:Ethanol