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Inhibition of Alcohol Dehydrogenase by Chloroquine

Nature volume 213, pages 628–629 (1967)Cite this article

Abstract

CHLOROQUINE is an anti-malarial drug which is also used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. It has been shown to inhibit various thiol-containing enzymes such as succinic dehydrogenase1, glutamic dehydrogenase2 and the α-ketoglutarate oxidizing system3. The prolonged administration of large doses of chloroquine causes the development of an irreversible retinopathy4. Chloroquine accumulates in the retinal pigment epithelium5 and it also inhibits NADH-monodehydroascorbic acid transhydrogenase, a thiol-containing enzyme present in retinal microsomes6. Alcohol dehydrogenase is an important enzyme in the visual cycle, being involved in the retinol–retinal conversion, and in this communication it has been established that this thiol-containing enzyme is competitively inhibited by chloroquine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Pathology, University College Hospital Medical School, London, W.C.1

    ROSEMARY FIDDICK & H. HEATH

Authors
  1. ROSEMARY FIDDICK
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  2. H. HEATH
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FIDDICK, R., HEATH, H. Inhibition of Alcohol Dehydrogenase by Chloroquine. Nature 213, 628–629 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/213628a0

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