Can ethanol dehydrogenase in pseudomonas aeruginosa effect alcohol breakdown in humans?

Question

I have Cystic Fibrosis, and have noticed that often, when drinking alcohol, I breakdown the alcohol quicker than anyone else (and quicker than I would have expected). As an example, the other night I drank 15 units in about 2 hours, and 1 hour later I was almost completely sober. 

I searched the internet to see if Cystic fibrosis can effect ethanol breakdown, and the google results constistently came up with the fact that pseudomonas aeruginosa has a type of quinoprotein ethanol dehydrogenase in it. I grow pseudomonas aeruginosa on my lungs always (have all my life), and so wondered whether the ethanol dehydrogenase present could have an affect on the alcohol in me? 

I mean, there is clearly alcohol present in the air in my lungs that I breath out, and pseudomonas aeruginosa has ethanol dehydrogenase in it, so is it breaking down the ethanol and making me sober!? I wish it wouldn't!

Thanks for your help in advance!

Sehr_Klug 50 · Accepted Answer

Nope it cant.
Fisrt, the molecular structure of ethylic alcohol dehydrogenase in humans, is quite different from that produced by the pokaryoyic cells such as pseudomonas.....and can cause a severe anaphylactic shock...
Second,,,for this ennzyme to work, its needed to be stored intracelularly, that is, in the enzymatic armamentarium of the hepatocyte....together, and in sequence with the following oxydase that also consumes high amounts of NAD to dehydrate alcohol and form NADH...and that is acetyl oxydase  to form acetaldehyde), that is quicly oxydized and taken by acetyl Coenzyme A, if we are lucky.....a foreing anzyme can nor link the first with the second step....Your intentions are quite noble...
My personal opinion, is that, however good, the idea can  not be applied to hepatocytes of humans....
Good luck,,,,keep up the good work

Anonymous · Answer

I don't think you can blame your lungs for this one. You have your own system of ethanol dehydrogenase enzymes in your liver, and yours is apparently a bit more robust than average. It works on zero-order kinetics, and in some people clears ethanol at around 15 mg/dl/hr, but in others at twice that rate. Also, there's blessed little you can do to inhibit or enhance the activity. For instance, fructose is known to enhance it, but the amount required is enough to make you sick, so screwdrivers and margaritas don't get metabolized notably faster than shots. It's a nice theory, though.

Anonymous · Answer

It Seems Very Probable to me that it Can.  But, No Doubt, you Would Prefer Not to Have CF Instead of a High Tolerance of Alcohol.

Can ethanol dehydrogenase in pseudomonas aeruginosa effect alcohol breakdown in humans?

3 Answers