Biomaterial Database

Diethyldithiocarbamic acid-methyl ester: a metabolite of disulfiram and its alcohol sensitizing properties in the disulfiram-ethanol reaction. 1987

J J Yourick, and M D Faiman

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Kansas, Lawrence 66045.

Diethyldithiocarbamic-acid-methyl ester (DDTC-Me) is a major metabolite of disulfiram. When given to rats, DDTC-Me was found to inhibit the liver mitochondrial low Km aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) without having any effect on the high Km isoenzyme. Inhibition of low Km ALDH by DDTC-Me in vivo exhibited a dose-response relationship, with inhibition of ALDH from 11% to 90% found when DDTC-Me was administered in a dose range from 1.8 to 158 mg/kg, IP. After a single dose of DDTC-Me (41.2 mg/kg, IP), the low Km ALDH was inhibited for 168 hours suggesting an irreversible enzyme inhibition. After an ethanol challenge to DDTC-Me-treated rats, a decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and increase in heart rate was observed. Decreases in MAP occurred almost immediately after ethanol challenge and remained low throughout a four hour post-ethanol period. These results suggest that in vivo administration of DDTC-Me can cause an alcohol-sensitizing reaction, and that DDTC-Me actually may be the metabolite of disulfiram which produces the disulfiram-ethanol reaction. It is proposed the reaction be more correctly identified as the DDTC-Me-Ethanol Reaction or D-MER.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008930	Mitochondria, Liver	Mitochondria in hepatocytes. As in all mitochondria, there are an outer membrane and an inner membrane, together creating two separate mitochondrial compartments: the internal matrix space and a much narrower intermembrane space. In the liver mitochondrion, an estimated 67% of the total mitochondrial proteins is located in the matrix. (From Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2d ed, p343-4)	Liver Mitochondria,Liver Mitochondrion,Mitochondrion, Liver
D011919	Rats, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. This also includes animals with a long history of closed colony breeding.	August Rats,Inbred Rat Strains,Inbred Strain of Rat,Inbred Strain of Rats,Inbred Strains of Rats,Rat, Inbred Strain,August Rat,Inbred Rat Strain,Inbred Strain Rat,Inbred Strain Rats,Inbred Strains Rat,Inbred Strains Rats,Rat Inbred Strain,Rat Inbred Strains,Rat Strain, Inbred,Rat Strains, Inbred,Rat, August,Rat, Inbred Strains,Rats Inbred Strain,Rats Inbred Strains,Rats, August,Rats, Inbred Strain,Strain Rat, Inbred,Strain Rats, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Rat,Strains, Inbred Rat
D001794	Blood Pressure	PRESSURE of the BLOOD on the ARTERIES and other BLOOD VESSELS.	Systolic Pressure,Diastolic Pressure,Pulse Pressure,Pressure, Blood,Pressure, Diastolic,Pressure, Pulse,Pressure, Systolic,Pressures, Systolic
D004050	Ditiocarb	A chelating agent that has been used to mobilize toxic metals from the tissues of humans and experimental animals. It is the main metabolite of DISULFIRAM.	Diethyldithiocarbamate,Diethylcarbamodithioic Acid,Diethyldithiocarbamic Acid,Dithiocarb,Ditiocarb Sodium,Ditiocarb, Ammonium Salt,Ditiocarb, Bismuth Salt,Ditiocarb, Lead Salt,Ditiocarb, Potassium Salt,Ditiocarb, Sodium Salt,Ditiocarb, Sodium Salt, Trihydrate,Ditiocarb, Tin(4+) Salt,Ditiocarb, Zinc Salt,Imuthiol,Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate,Thiocarb,Zinc Diethyldithiocarbamate,Ammonium Salt Ditiocarb,Bismuth Salt Ditiocarb,Diethyldithiocarbamate, Sodium,Diethyldithiocarbamate, Zinc,Lead Salt Ditiocarb,Potassium Salt Ditiocarb,Sodium Salt Ditiocarb,Sodium, Ditiocarb,Zinc Salt Ditiocarb
D004221	Disulfiram	A carbamate derivative used as an alcohol deterrent. It is a relatively nontoxic substance when administered alone, but markedly alters the intermediary metabolism of alcohol. When alcohol is ingested after administration of disulfiram, blood acetaldehyde concentrations are increased, followed by flushing, systemic vasodilation, respiratory difficulties, nausea, hypotension, and other symptoms (acetaldehyde syndrome). It acts by inhibiting aldehyde dehydrogenase.	Tetraethylthiuram Disulfide,Alcophobin,Antabus,Antabuse,Anticol,Bis(diethylthiocarbamoyl) Disulfide,Dicupral,Esperal,Tetraethylthioperoxydicarbonic Diamide, ((H2N)C(S))2S2,Teturam,Disulfide, Tetraethylthiuram
D004305	Dose-Response Relationship, Drug	The relationship between the dose of an administered drug and the response of the organism to the drug.	Dose Response Relationship, Drug,Dose-Response Relationships, Drug,Drug Dose-Response Relationship,Drug Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Drug Dose-Response,Relationships, Drug Dose-Response
D004347	Drug Interactions	The action of a drug that may affect the activity, metabolism, or toxicity of another drug.	Drug Interaction,Interaction, Drug,Interactions, Drug
D005260	Female		Females
D006339	Heart Rate	The number of times the HEART VENTRICLES contract per unit of time, usually per minute.	Cardiac Rate,Chronotropism, Cardiac,Heart Rate Control,Heartbeat,Pulse Rate,Cardiac Chronotropy,Cardiac Chronotropism,Cardiac Rates,Chronotropy, Cardiac,Control, Heart Rate,Heart Rates,Heartbeats,Pulse Rates,Rate Control, Heart,Rate, Cardiac,Rate, Heart,Rate, Pulse
D000431	Ethanol	A clear, colorless liquid rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and distributed throughout the body. It has bactericidal activity and is used often as a topical disinfectant. It is widely used as a solvent and preservative in pharmaceutical preparations as well as serving as the primary ingredient in ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.	Alcohol, Ethyl,Absolute Alcohol,Grain Alcohol,Alcohol, Absolute,Alcohol, Grain,Ethyl Alcohol