Ethanol, acetaldehyde and cardiac protein synthesis: the relation to cardiomyopathy.

The occurrence of cardiomyopathy in chronic alcoholism has been well documented, but the cause of the myopathy is still unclear. Some of the mechanisms described have included accumulation of triglycerides, altered fatty acid extraction, membrane alterations with decreased response to Ca2+ and to catecholamines and alterations in cardiac protein synthesis. The present article briefly reviews the effects of ethanol or its primary metabolite, acetaldehyde, on cardiac protein synthesis and possible relation to cardiomyopathy.