Ethanol is primarily metabolized in the stomach and liver by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) (Zakhari 2006). ADH is present in the cytosol whereas CYP2E1 is present predominantly in microsomes. Both enzymes convert alcohol to acetaldehyde, which is further metabolized to acetate by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the mitochondria. Acetate is then released into the blood where it is oxidized to carbon dioxide in the heart, skeletal muscle, and brain (Zakhari 2006).
