Antabus-reaktio

En käytä antabusta tai mitään muuta lääkettä, mutta usein kun juon alkoholia vain hyvin pienenkin määrä (yhdestä tai kahdesta keskioluestakin), alan voimaan pahoin, tulee kuumotusta ja pulssi kohoaa. Kaksi jälkimmäistä oiretta voi tulla luultavasti sen vuoksi, kun yritän hermostuksissa olla oksentamatta ihmisten keskuudessa.

Wikipediassa lukee, että osalla kauko-itämaisista ihmisistä on mutaatio geeneissä joka vähentää "Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase" entsyymin toimintaa. Tämä entsyymi muuttaa ihmisen aineenvaihdunnassa etanolin harmittomimmiksi hapoiksi. Oireina näillä ihmisillä on alkoholia juodessa äkilliset kankkusoireet ja punoitus ns. antabus-reaktio.

Voiko siis suomalaisella miehellä mitenkään olla tällaista entsyymin vajaatoimintaa?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetaldehyde
"Acetaldehyde and hangovers

Most people of East Asian descent have a mutation in their alcohol dehydrogenase gene that makes this enzyme unusually effective at converting ethanol to acetaldehyde[citation needed], and about half of such people also have a form of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase which is less effective at converting acetaldehyde to acetic acid[11]. This combination causes them to suffer from the alcohol flush reaction, in which acetaldehyde accumulates after drinking, leading to severe and immediate hangover symptoms. These people are therefore less likely to become alcoholics. The drug Antabuse (disulfiram) also prevents the oxidation of acetaldehyde to acetic acid, with the same unpleasant effects for drinkers. It has been used in the treatment of alcoholism."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetaldehyde_dehydrogenase
"Role in metabolism of alcohol

In the liver, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase oxidizes ethanol into acetaldehyde, which is then further converted into the harmless acetic acid (vinegar) by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Acetaldehyde is more toxic than alcohol and is responsible for many hangover symptoms. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is known to assist in processing acetaldehyde in the body and therefore can help to relieve hangover symptoms.

Some persons of far-Eastern descent have a dominant mutation in their acetaldehyde dehydrogenase gene (specifically, the mitochondrial ALDH2 gene), [1] making this enzyme less effective. In these people, acetaldehyde accumulates after drinking alcohol, leading to symptoms of acetaldehyde poisoning, including the characteristic flushing of the skin and increased heart and respiration rates. Individuals with deficient acetaldehyde dehydrogenase activity are far less likely to become alcoholics, but seem to be at a greater risk of liver damage, alcohol-induced asthma, and contracting cancers of the oro-pharynx and esophagus due to acetaldehyde overexposure.

The drug disulfiram (Antabuse®) also prevents the oxidation of acetaldehyde to acetic acid, with the same unpleasant effects for drinkers. It is used in the treatment of alcoholism."