METABOLISM OF ALCOHOL TO ACETALDEHYDE IN THE RAT UTERUSAND ITS REPRODUCTIVE TOXICITY

BUTHET, L.; FANELLI, S.; CARMEN RODRIGUEZ DE CASTRO; CIGNOLI DE FERREITA, E.V.; BIETTO, F.; CASTRO, G.

Mar del Plata

Congreso; 43 Annual Meeting Argentine Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; 2007

It is known that alcohol drinking can lead to impairment in reproductive function in women. In this study we analyze the possibility that part of these effects were mediated through alterations of uterus function related to ethanol oxidation to acetaldehyde occurring in that tissue. We found thatbiotransformation in the cytosolic fraction is mediated by xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), required a purine cosubstrate and was inhibited by allopurinol and pyrazol. By histochemistry XORactivity was detected in the epithelium and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity was detected in the muscular layer and serosa. The microsomal process did not require NADPH but was of enzymaticnature, sensitive to oxygen and was inhibited by diethyldithiocarbamate, diphenyleneiodonium and partially by esculetin and nordihydroguaiaretic acid. Ultrastructure of uterus from rats treated with standard Lieber & De Carli liquid diet for 28 days revealed extensive vacuolization in cytoplasm and loss of cell content. In addition we observed the promotion of oxidative stress as evidenced by increased response in the t-butylhydroperoxide induced chemiluminiscence and the depletion of the protein sulfhydryl content. Results suggest that in the rat uterus, metabolism of ethanol to acetaldehyde may play a role in alcohol effects on female reproductive function.