Which of the propeies accounts for ethanol's use in ethylene glycol poisoning?
Competitive inhibitor of NADPH oxidase
Competitive inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase
Competitive inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase
Non-competitive inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase
Ethanol acts by competing with ethylene glycol for alcohol dehydrogenase, the first enzyme in the degradation pathway. Because ethanol has a much higher affinity for alcohol dehydrogenase, about a 100-times greater affinity, it successfully blocks the breakdown of ethylene glycol into glycoaldehyde, which prevents the fuher degradation. Ref: Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, 4th Edition, Page 336; Updates in Emergency Medicine By John Cahill, 2002, Page 115