title: A perspective on acetaldehyde concentrations and toxicity in man and animals.
abstract: Acetaldehyde (AcH) at a concentration of 593 mM lowers the natural fluorescence of commercial human serum by 12%. It also lowers the fluorescence of a beta-naphthylamine standard curve (recovery) in serum by 17%. These results contrast with earlier reports showing that 447 mM AcH had no effect upon fluorescence of serum or a beta-naphthylamine standard curve in serum. Because 447 mM AcH and 593 mM AcH represent 2.5% and 3.3% AcH, it is apparent that there is a narrow window between which AcH may affect fluorescence by adduct formation with blood components and exogenous fluorophores. Nonetheless, serum has the capacity to bind > 2.5% (> 447 mM) AcH without alteration in fluorescence, suggesting that serum has a great carrying capacity for AcH, undoubtedly in the form of adducts to nucleophiles. These results are discussed in the light of toxicity of AcH and ethanol, the probable significance of the approximately 30 microM free AcH that is reported in chronic alcoholics and the planning of in vitro and in vivo studies with AcH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Bowling Green State University, OH 43403, USA.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Brecher
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hellman
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Basista
mesh_terms: D015081:2-Naphthylamine / Q000032:analysis; D000079:Acetaldehyde / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D005470:Fluorometry; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D015081:2-Naphthylamine; D000079:Acetaldehyde