Reactive carbonyl compounds, carbonyl stress, and neuroinflammation in methyl alcohol intoxication

Methyl alcohol intoxications are characterized by high lethality and high prevalence of serious visual and brain damage in survivors. The mechanisms of toxic brain damage are complex and the role of carbonyl stress has not been studied yet. We measured the acute and follow-up concentrations of reactive carbonyl compounds in patients with acute methyl alcohol intoxication. Blood samples were collected from 28 subjects hospitalized with confirmed methyl alcohol intoxication and from 36 subjects who survived poisoning 2 years after discharge. Serum concentrations of C 6–12 reactive aldehydes were measured by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry. The acute concentrations of all measured reactive aldehydes were higher than the follow-up concentrations: 36.4 ± 4.8 vs. 21.6 ± 5.2 ng cm −3 for C 6 ; 38.9 ± 5 vs. 17.0 ± 2.0 ng cm −3 for C 7 ; 18.8 ± 3.9 vs. 4 ± 0 cm −3 for C 8 ; 36.5 ± 3.9 vs. 19.0 ± 3.0 ng cm −3 for C 9 ; 6.1 ± 0.4 vs. 4.0 ± 0.5 ng cm −3 for C 10 ; 13.6 ± 3.0 vs. 3.7 ± 0.6 ng cm −3 for C 11 ; and 7.8 ± 0.4 vs. 4.7 ± 0.4 ng cm −3 for C 12 (all p