The catalase pathway can oxidize ethanol in conjunction with hydrogen peroxide generating systems, such as NADPH oxidase (Zakhari, 2006). The catalase pathways plays a larger roles in the oxidation of ethanol in the brain, where little ADH oxidation occurs (Zakhari, 2006). In a study by Vasiliou et al. (2006), it was found that animals with a knockout of either catalase or CYP2E1 were more sensitive to the sedative effects of ethanol than control, wild-type animals. The study found that CYP2E1 did not contribute significantly to ethanol clearance in the brain, but was instead involved with ethanol processing in the brain affecting sensitivity.
