When ethanol (alcohol) is consumed, the body detoxifies it b…
When ethanol (alcohol) is consumed, the body detoxifies it by first breaking it down to acetaldehyde, a toxic carcinogen, and then converting the acetaldehyde into acetate, which is further broken down and eliminated. Acetaldehyde binds to the active site of the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2 in humans). The medication disulfiram binds to a different site on the enzyme ALDH2, changing its shape and preventing acetaldehyde from binding. This causes a buildup of acetaldehyde at even low levels of alcohol consumption, leading rapidly to symptoms of a hangover including flushing, headache, nausea, sweating, and vomiting, among others. By producing such an acute sensitivity to drinking alcohol, disulfiram has been used as a medication to treat chronic alcoholism. Given that it binds to a different site than acetaldehyde on ALDH2, disulfiram is an example of what kind of inhibitor?