A treatment for methanol poisoning is to have the victim drink large amounts of ethanol. Why might this be an effective treatment?
methanol + enzyme (alcoholdehydrogenase) ----> formic acid + formaldehyde
formic acid , formaldehyde both are toxic.
ethanol + enzyme (alcoholdehydrogenase) ----> acetic
acid + acetaldehyde
acetic acid , acetaldehyde both are less toxic
compared to above.
Since ethanol has got higher affinity to enzyme
alcoholdehydrogenase than methanol.
it reacts to form acetic acid and acetaldehyde( less toxic) allowing methanol to be excreted via urine.
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