DISULFIRAM METABOLISM AS A REQUIREMENT FOR THE INHIBITION OF RAT-LIVER MITOCHONDRIAL LOW KM ALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE

In humans and animals, disulfiram produces a disulfiram-ethanol reaction after an ethanol challenge, the basis of which is the inhibition of liver aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Disulfiram and the metabolites diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC), diethyldithiocarbamate-methyl ester (DDTC-Me), and S-methyl-N,N-diethylthiolcarbamate (DETC-Me) were studied in order to determine the role of bioactivation in disulfiram's action as an inhibitor of rat liver mitochondrial low K(m) ALDH (RLM low K(m) ALDH). In in vitro studies, disulfiram and DDTC (0.01 to 2.0 mM) both inhibited RLM low K(m) ALDH in a concentration-dependent manner. The addition of rat liver microsomes to the mitochondrial incubation did not further increase disulfiram-induced RLM low K(m) ALDH inhibition. However, DDTC-induced RLM low K(m) ALDH inhibition was increased further, but only at DDTC concentrations < 0.05 mM. DDTC-Me and DETC-Me (2.0 mM) similarly exhibited an increased RLM low K(m) ALDH inhibition after the addition of liver microsomes. In in vivo studies, disulfiram (75 mg/kg), DDTC (114 mg/kg), DDTC-Me (41.2 mg/kg) or DETC-Me (18.6 mg/kg) administered i.p. to female rats inhibited RLM low K(m) ALDH. Inhibition of drug metabolism by pretreatment of rats with the cytochrome P450 inhibitor N-octylimidazole (NOI) (20 mg/kg, i.p.) prior to either disulfiram, DDTC, DDTC-Me or DETC-Me administration blocked the inhibition of RLM low K(m) ALDH. The in vitro and in vivo data support the conclusion that bioactivation of disulfiram to a reactive chemical species is required for RLM low K(m) ALDH inhibition and a disulfiram-ethanol reaction.