Developmental changes in alcohol-dehydrogenase activity in rat and guinea-pig liver

Abstract

1. Alcohol-dehydrogenase activity is first detectable in the rat foetus on about the eighteenth day of gestation, after which time it increases to about 25% of the adult activity at birth. Adult activity is reached at about 18 days after birth. The ethanol-oxidizing capacity of liver slices from rats correlates well with the increase of the enzyme activity in vitro. 2. In the guinea pig there is a steady linear increase from about 17 days before term to 5 days after birth. Adult activity is reached between the sixth and eighth postnatal day. 3. Some kinetic properties of liver alcohol dehydrogenase are very similar in newbom and adult rats. 4. Administration of ethanol to pregnant rats during the latter half of gestation had no effect on alcohol-dehydrogenase activity in the liver of the newbom offspring. Intraperitoneal injections of ethanol to newbom and young rats had no effect on the alcohol-dehydrogenase activity of the livers. 5. Intraperitoneal injections of hydrocortisone and triamcinolone to newbom and adult non-adrenalectomized rats had no significant effect on the increase of the alcohol-dehydrogenase activity as studied up to 4 days after the injection.

Activity of Alcohol Dehydrogenase and Acetaldehyde Dehydrogenases in the Liver and Placenta during the Development of the Rat

“…Greengard (5) has classified such enzymes into three groups. In the first group the increase takes place in the late fetal period (last trimes ter), in the second in the neonatal period, and groups, when referring to Räihä et al (18). The present results suggest that ADH belongs to the late fetal group but not to the late suckling one, since there was no accelerated increase in activ ity at that period.…”

“…ADH activity is low before birth and in creases postnatally in linear fashion with age (17,18). The animals reach an activity compa rable to that of adults at an age of 12 (17) or 18 days (18). The activity correlates well with the ethanol oxidizing capacity in liver slices.…”

“…After this age the increase was slower. Räihä et al (18) also reported a low activity before birth, a rather rapid increase at birth and a linear increase postnatally. However, there was a ten dency to increased development after 12 days of age.…”

“…As far as we are aware, no reports on the development of the complete ALDH activities in the liver have been published. ADH activity is low before birth and in creases postnatally in linear fashion with age (17,18). The animals reach an activity compa rable to that of adults at an age of 12 (17) or 18 days (18).…”

Development of the Enzymes of Fructose and Glyceraldehyde Metabolism in Liver

“…The activity of aldolase B in the liver of newborn rats was already similar to that in adult animals, which is also known to be true for a variety of enzymes of carbo hydrate metabolism in liver [12]. For alcohol dehydrogenase and reported data on the course of development of fructokinase [4], aldolase [7], and alcohol dehydrogenase [6].…”