Which statement about alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is accurate?

Which statement about alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is accurate?

• A. An enzyme in the stomach that breaks down alcohol; women have less than men
• B. A hormone regulating alcohol cravings
• C. A pancreatic enzyme that metabolizes alcohol
• D. A transporter involved in alcohol absorption

Answer: (A)

Alcohol dehydrogenase is an enzyme that metabolizes ethanol, with a portion located in the stomach contributing to first-pass metabolism. The statement that this enzyme works in the stomach and that women have less gastric ADH activity than men is accurate. Because gastric ADH activity is lower in women, less ethanol is metabolized before it reaches the bloodstream, leading to higher blood alcohol concentrations after the same intake. ADH is not a hormone, not a pancreatic enzyme, and not a transporter, so those descriptions don’t fit.

Alcohol dehydrogenase is an enzyme that metabolizes ethanol, with a portion located in the stomach contributing to first-pass metabolism. The statement that this enzyme works in the stomach and that women have less gastric ADH activity than men is accurate. Because gastric ADH activity is lower in women, less ethanol is metabolized before it reaches the bloodstream, leading to higher blood alcohol concentrations after the same intake. ADH is not a hormone, not a pancreatic enzyme, and not a transporter, so those descriptions don’t fit.