Catalase as a regulator of the propensity to ingest alcohol in genetically determined acatalasemic individuals from Israel.
Direct descendants of an individual residing in Israel, who was diagnosed in the 1960s with a genetic deficiency in catalase, were examined for their propensity to consume alcohol.These individuals were found to possess a lower level of catalase activity compared to that of a group of matched controls with the same ethnic background.While no differences were observed in the propensity to drink alcohol between the two groups, the catalase deficient individuals did show a significant positive correlation between catalase activity and alcohol drinking behaviour as measured by Q-value. No such relationship was observed in the matched controls.The findings suggest that the apparent acatalasemia in the experimental subjects may act as a limiting factor for these individuals and that catalase may play an important role in regulating alcohol drinking behaviour. These results are consistent with previous animal and human studies which suggest that catalase, via its ability to produce acetaldehyde through the metabolism of ethanol, may have a regulatory role in the propensity to drink alcohol.
Amit
Z
Z
Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec Canada. amit@csbn.concordia.ca
Smith
B R
BR
Weiss
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