• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.54-57
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• 2004

Disulfiram (tetraethylthiuram disulphid) is used in the treatment of chronic alcoholism since it causes an unpleasant aversive reaction to alcohol. It works by inactivating hepatic aldehyde dehydrogenase, leading to pronounced rise in the acetaldehyde concentration when ethanol is metabolized. Acetaldehyde causes alcohol sensitivity, which involve vasodilation associated with feeling of hotness and facial flushing, increased heart rate and respiration rates, lowered blood pressure, nausea, headache. One of its metabolites, diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) can inhibit the enzyme dopamine $\beta$-hydroxylase (DBH), this may account for the profound refractory hypotension and hypothermia seen with the disulfiram-ethanol reaction (DER), resulting from norepinephrine depletion. This report is presents the case of a patient we met, who presented with hypothermia caused by the disulfiram-ethanol reaction, and along with a brief review of the subject.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.83-87
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• 1996

The effects of disulfiram implantation therapy have three components : placebo, pharmacological, and psychological effects, However, considering the fact that there is no reported DER(disulfiram-ethanol reaction) in placebo implanted patients and the absorption of implanted disulfiram is not sufficient to produce DER, the major effect of disulfiram implantation is psychological rather than placebo and pharmacological one, Recently, there have been great efforts to develop a new farm of disulfiram which could exert a real pharmacological effect through the heightened bioavailability, To illustrate several examples, there are copolymer consisting of disulfiram and polymer such as polyethylene glycol and PLGA(polyglycolic-co-L-lactic acid) and depot in which disulfiram is dissolved into saline solution containing 5% w/v carboxymethylcellulose or 0.1% polysorbate 80. On the other hand, there has been a continuous research about Me-DTC, an active metabolite of disulfiram, which inhibit ALDH (acetaldehyde dehydrogenase) more potently even at a smaller amount than disulfiram. In the future. In is hoped to develop a new form of disulfiram with high bioavailability at a small amount.