Alcohol dehydrogenase activity in rat kidney cortex stimulated by oestradiol

Sex differences in alcohol dehydrogenase activity, determined by the influence of oestrogen hormones, were found to exist in the rat kidney. Oestradiol, but neither testosterone nor progesterone, was shown to be a powerful stimulator of kidney alcohol dehydrogenase activity in rats, maximally 6- to 8-times over control values. The Michaelis-Menten constant for acetaldehyde of both non-stimulated and oestradiol-stimulated kidney alcohol dehydrogenases was found to be similar, 6.7 · 10^?5 M and 7.8 · 10^?5 M, respectively. Actinomycin D was shown to have an additive effect (superinduction) on the oestradiol-induced increase in kidney enzyme activity. The findings suggest the possibility of the higher contribution of kidneys in ethanol metabolism in states with an elevated level of oestradiol, such as chronic ethanol intake and ethanol hepatic disease.