Figure 1.

Hepatic alcohol metabolism. Schematic representation of the most important cellular pathways involved in ethanol metabolism localized in the different cellular districts. Alcohol is at first oxidized to acetaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in the cytosol or through the activation of the inducible microsomal enzyme CYP2E1. The heme-containing enzyme catalase can also participate to ethanol oxidation in the peroxisomes. Thereafter acetaldehyde is converted to acetate by the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) located in the mitochondria. Acetate can freely diffuse into the circulation.