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A patient comes into the emergency room having accidentally ingested methanol (a component in anti-freeze).The products of methanol degradation are toxic,and can lead to blindness,neurological issues,or death.However,if methanol degradation can be slowed down,the toxic by-products do not have a chance to accumulate.ADH has a higher affinity to ethanol,where it functions to oxidize ethanol into acetaldehyde with the end product of the pathway being acetic acid (vinegar).
-Knowing what you know about enzyme function,what would be your suggested course of treatment?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best course of treatment in this situation would be to give the patient high levels of ethanol, as it competes with methanol for the same metabolic pathway and slows down the rate of toxic by-product accumulation. This strategy is called ethanol therapy and has been proven effective in preventing methanol toxicity. However, careful monitoring is necessary as high levels of ethanol can also be toxic. Giving acetic acid (choice B) is not a good option as it is the end product of the pathway and may not have a significant impact on slowing down methanol degradation. Choices A, D and E may provide general supportive care but would not address the specific issue of methanol toxicity.

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