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69214 
Journal Article 
Interaction of chloral hydrate and ethanol in man. I. Metabolism 
Sellers, EM; Lang, M; Koch-Weser, J; Leblanc, E; Kalant, H 
1972 
Yes 
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
ISSN: 0009-9236
EISSN: 1532-6535 
13 
1 
37-49 
English 
4550322 
The interaction of chloral hydrate and ethanol metabolism was studied in 5 normal male volunteers. Compared to chloral hydrate alone, ingestion of ethanol 30 minutes after chloral hydrate results in significantly higher and more prolonged concentrations of plasma trichloroethanol and in lower plasma trichloroacetic acid levels and urinary trichloroethanol glucuronide. Chloral hydrate ingestion in turn affects ethanol metabolism and causes peak blood ethanol concentrations to be reached earlier and to be higher than after ethanol alone. Accompanying the higher blood ethenol levels are lower blood acetaldehyde concentrations. Blood ethanol concentration one-half hour after ethanol ingestion is linearly related to the plasma trichloroethanol level at the time of ethanol ingestion. In vitro studies on the mechanism of these metabolic interactions showed that the elevated blood ethanol concentrations are due to competitive inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase by trichloroethanol (Ki = 8.7 × 10-5M). Ethanol stimulates NADH production and thereby increases the rate of chloral hydrate reduction to trichloroethanol by liver alcohol dehydrogenase. Human red blood cells also reduce chloral hydrate to trichloroethanol (Km 4.0 × 10-4M, Vmax, = 3.6 μm per minute per cubic centimeter RBC). © 1972.