Genetic Aspects of Increase in Rat Liver Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Induced by Phenobarbital

In the supernatant fraction of homogenized rat liver, the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase that is dependent on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (E.C. 1.2.1.3) is increased up to tenfold after administration of phenobarbital for 3 days. The effect is genetically controlled and is inherited as an autosomal dominant characteristic. The mechanism is apparently unrelated to other druginduced increases in enzyme activity such as that which occurs in the hepatic microsomal systems for drug metabolism.