Metabolisme de l'etanol en l'estómac. Estructura, funció i expressió gènica de l'alcohol deshidrogenasa de la classe IV

Gastric mucosa is a tissue of active ethanol metabolism because of the presence of a specific alcohol deshydrogenase (ADH), that we name class IV, recently reported by our research group. In the present project we will estimate the relative contribution of the stomach to the global ethanol metabolism in man, from the analysis of the isoenzyme pattern and ADH activity of gastric biopsies. We will examine whether gender, age and ethanol consumption affect the enzyme, and therefore, the detoxification capacity of the individual. We will investigate the function of this enzyme by studying the kinetic constants with physiological substrates, mainly retinoids. In fact, its localization in epithelia makes class IV a good candidate to play a role in the synthesis of retinoic acid, an important modulator of the gene expression in these tissues. Rat class IV will be sequenced in collaboration with