Liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) can oxidize ethanol or other alcohols, including methanol. Methanol oxidation generates formaldehyde, which is very toxic, causing blindness. My dog Clancy mistakenly drank 50 mL of washer fluid (a solution 50% w/w in methanol). Knowing that methanol would be discharged eventually by Clancy’s kidneys if its oxidation could be blocked, and realizing that, in terms of methanol oxidation by ADH, ethanol would act as a competitive inhibitor, I decided to offer Clancy some wine.

How much of wine (12% w/w ethanol) must Clancy consume in order to lower the activity of his ADH on methanol to 5% of its current value?

Assume:
(a) Density of the washer fluid and wine: 0.9 g/ml.
(b) Km of ADH for methanol is 10 mM
(c) Clancy’s body fluid volume: 15 L.
(d) Dissociation constant Ki of ethanol for ADH is 1 mM.
(e) The increase in the total body fluid by the ingested wine and washer fluid can be ignored.

I am having problem solving this question and really need some advice on what I should be doing.

7. Liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) can oxidize ethanol or other alcohols, including methanol. Methanol oxidation generates formaldehyde, which is very toxic, causing blindness. My dog Clancy mistakenly drank 50 mL of washer fluid (a solution 50% w/w in methanol). Knowing that methanol would be discharged eventually by Clancy’s kidneys if its oxidation could be blocked, and realizing that, in terms of methanol oxidation by ADH, ethanol would act as a competitive inhibitor, I decided to offer Clancy some wine.

How much of wine (12% w/w ethanol) must Clancy consume in order to lower the activity of his ADH on methanol to 5% of its current value?

Assume:
(a) Density of the washer fluid and wine: 0.9 g/ml.
(b) Km of ADH for methanol is 10 mM
(c) Clancy’s body fluid volume: 15 L.
(d) Dissociation constant Ki of ethanol for ADH is 1 mM.
(e) The increase in the total body fluid by the ingested wine and washer fluid can be ignored.

So what have you done so far?

Have you written any equations for Km and Ki ?

 

Have a look at the example in this thread and try to use it as a model.

How many unknowns do you have so how many equations do you need to solve the system?

Click on the box to get to the other thread.

 

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Moderator Note

Moved to homework.

 

Hi Jonas,

Can you show us your work so far?  What equations are you using?

Double thread posted moderator please combine.

 

 

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Moderator Note

Duplicate topics merged.