1. Because it has been shown that a majority of alcoholics are subclinically scorbutic, the metabolism of ethanol was studied in subclinically-scorbutic guinea-pigs.
2. Hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity was raised maximally by ethanol within 2 days.
3. In twenty-three subclinically-scorbutic guinea-pigs fed ethanol for 2 weeks, the alcohol dehydrogenase activity (±SD) was 11·5 ± 1·2 units/g of liver protein compared with 8·6 ± 0·6 units/g of liver protein in twenty-three healthy animals fed ethanol.
4. The NAD+/NADH ratio in subclinically-scorbutic guinea-pigs and healthy guinea-pigs fed ethanol, shows that there is more NAD+ available for oxidation of alcohol in subclinically-scorbutic guinea-pigs. These results may explain the increased tolerance of alcoholics to alcohol.
Ethanol tolerance and alcohol dehydrogenase activity in Australian populations of Drosophila simulans