for the purposes of this disclosure , the following abbreviations are used : adh , alcohol dehydrogenase ; aldh , aldehyde dehydrogenase ; dca , dicliloroacetate ; dha , dihydroxyacetone ; dhap , dihydroxyacetone phosphate ; dpag , dipyruvyl - acetyl - glycerol ; faee , fatty acid ethyl esters ; gc , gas chromatography ; gcms , gas chromatography - mass spectrometry ; lad , left anterior descending coronary artery ; mpe , molar percent enrichment ; ms , mass spectrometry ; nac , n - acetylcysteine ; nefa , non - esterified fatty acids ; pada , pyruvyl - acetyl - dihydroxyacetone ; pdh , pyruvate dehydrogenase ; pnace , pyruvate n - acetylcysteine ethyl ester ; ros , reactive oxygen species . as described above , timely coronary reperfusion as treatment for acute myocardial infarction reduces myocardial infarct size and improves survival rates . however , there is concern that reperfusion may cause further injury to the myocardium , called &# 34 ; reperfusion injury &# 34 ;. more particularly , experimental studies have demonstrated that myocardium reperfused after reversible ischemia exhibits prolonged depression or &# 34 ; myocardial stunning &# 34 ;. there is evidence that reperfusion of ischemic myocardium results in the generation of ros and that a burst of ros production at the time of reperfusion causes myocardial damage . accordingly , attempts have been made to provide pyruvate compounds which trap and / or prevent the formation of ros . one form of the present invention is a novel compound including a pyruvate moiety which also traps reducing equivalents ( nadh ) and ros , and a thiol moiety which traps ros . accordingly , the present compound provides dual functionality in an effective and highly efficient manner and in a physiologically soluble molecule . in addition , the compounds are degraded to physiological and safe metabolites ( pyruvate , cysteine or homocysteine ). lastly , the present inventive compound is equally applicable to use in the preservation of organs removed for transplantation . in summary , the novel compounds are redox chimeras whose molecules contain a trap for reducing equivalents ( nadh ) and a trap for ros . ( ii ) no ionic charge , to facilitate diffusion through cell membranes and to avoid the need to administer a counter - ion , such as na + ; one preferred group of the inventive compounds is a thiolester of pyruvate and a sulfur amino acid , for example cysteine or homocysteine . preferably , any ionizable functions on the amino acid molecule are blocked by easily removable radicals , such as ethyl and n - acetyl groups . the most preferred compound is formed of pyruvate and n - acetylcysteine ethyl ester . the invention will now be described with reference to the following examples , intended to describe , but not limit the invention . hearts were removed from anesthetized new zealand rabbits ( 2 . 5 - 3 . 0 kg ) and perfused in the working mode at 37 ° with non - recirculating krebs - ringer bicarbonate ( krb ) buffer containing 5 mm glucose and 5 units / l of insulin , and equilibrated with a gas mixture containing 95 % o 2 + 5 % co 2 . in the working mode , which simulates physiological conditions , hearts pump the buffer against a 85 cm hydrostatic pressure in the aorta . the mechanical performance of the hearts was assessed by monitoring heart rate , cardiac output , coronary flow , left ventricular pressure , and dp / dt max . the latter parameter reflects the capacity of the heart to increase hydrostatic pressure in the left ventricle . following 30 minutes of equilibration , the hearts were made ischemic for 25 minutes by clamping the aortic and left atrial canulas . then , the clamps were removed to allow reperfusion with oxygenated krb buffer containing either no additive ( n = 7 , control group ), or 20 μm pyruvate - n - acetyl - cysteine ethyl ester ( pnace ) ( n = 7 ). pnace was infused via a syringe pump into the inflowing perfusate . in the syringe , pnace was dissolved in 0 . 1 mm hcl to prevent hydrolysis of the thiolester . none of the control group hearts recovered any function . in contrast , hearts reperfused with buffer containing 20 μm pnace recovered 75 to 95 % of their mechanical function after reperfusion was instituted ( see fig1 and 2 ). functional recovery lasted throughout the 30 minute reperfusion experiment . rabbit hearts were perfuse in the working mode as in the above example . however , after the 30 minutes of equilibration , 50 μm isoproterenol was added to the inflowing perfusate for 10 min . isoproterenol is a catecholamine , which , at the dose administered , induces a marked increase in heart rate and cardiac output . after 10 minutes , the mechanical performance of the hearts decreased markedly to the point where cardiac output was almost zero . then , isoproterenol infusion was stopped , and perfusion was continued for 30 minutes with oxygenated krb buffer containing either no additive ( n = 7 , control group ), or 20 μm pnace ( n = 7 ). the hearts perfused with plain buffer did not show recovery of cardiac function . in contrast , hearts perfused with buffer containing 20 μm pnace recovered 75 to 95 % of their mechanical function . the data of these experiments proved substantially similar to that shown in fig1 and 2 . livers from overnight - fasted rats were surgically removed and flushed at 37 ° c . with non - recirculating krb buffer containing 5 mm glucose and equilibrated with a gas mixture containing 95 % o 2 + 5 % co 2 the first group of livers ( n = 7 , control group ) was not preserved , but was perfused at 37 ° c . for 45 minutes . the second group of livers ( n = 8 , preserved group ) was flushed with ice - cold university of wisconsin ( uw ) preservation solution and stored for 24 hours in ice - cold uw solution . next , the livers were reperfused at 37 ° c . with non - recirculating kpr buffer containing 5 mm glucose . the third group of livers ( n = 8 , preserved + pnace group ) was treated as the second group except that 20 μm pnace was added to the uw preservation solution and to the reperfusion krb buffer . during the last 45 min of ( re ) perfusion , the function of the three groups of livers was assessed by ( i ) the release of three cellular enzymes , i . e . lactate dehydrogenase , aspartate aminotransferase , and alanine aminotransferase , ( ii ) oxygen consumption , and ( iii ) the production of ketone bodies , ie β - hydroxybutyrate + acetoacetate , after addition of 1 mm octanoate to the perfusate . the data depicted in the table , show that , in preserved reperfused rat livers , pnace ( i ) markedly decreases the initial release of tissue enzymes , ( ii ) restores partially the capacity of the liver to oxidize fatty acids to ketone bodies , and ( iii ) restores oxygen consumption to the level of non - preserved livers . effect of pnace on metabolic integrity of preserved rat livers upon reperfusion all data from group iii are statistically different from the corresponding data of group ii . ______________________________________synthesis of pnace group i group ii group iii parameter control control preserved + measured non - preserved ( 7 ) preserved ( 8 ) pnace ( 8 ) ______________________________________release of lactate 1 . 9 21 . 8 4 . 5 dehydrogenase ( u / l . g ) 10 - 14 min . release of aspartate 0 . 28 3 . 4 0 . 73 aminotransferase ( u / l . g ) 25 - 30 min . release of alanine 0 . 21 3 . 7 0 . 33 aminotransferase ( u / l . g ) 25 - 30 min . ketone body production 3 . 1 0 . 9 1 . 4 ( μmol / min . g ) 25 - 30 min . oxygen consumption 2 . 1 1 . 3 2 . 4 ( μmol / min . g ) 25 - 30 min . ______________________________________ as understood in the art , pyruvate has proven to be a relatively unstable compound with very limited mechanism for satisfactory delivery to subjects . however , the present inventive compound has proven to be readily manufacturable and very effective in the prevention of organ damage associated with reperfusion injury . the compound has been prepared in pure form and in gram amounts . its formula has been confirmed by elemental analysis and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry . the compound is stable in slightly acidic solutions ( ph 4 - 5 ). at ph 7 . 4 , it is slowly hydrolyzed to pyruvate and n - acetylcysteine ethyl ester . the compound has also been synthesized labeled with three deuterium 2 h atoms on the n - acetyl moiety . this deuterated compound is used as an internal standard for the assay of the compound by isotope dilution gas chromatography - mass spectrometry . in a three - neck flask of 500 ml , freshly distilled pyruvic acid ( 9 . 06 g ., 0 . 102 mol ) and n - hydroxy - succinimide ( 11 . 82 g ., 0 . 102 mol ) in dry tetrahydrofurane ( thf ) ( 180 ml ) was stirred under nitrogen and was cooled in a ice bath . dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 21 . 2 g ., 0 . 102 mol ) dissolved in dry thf ( 150 ml ) was added slowly to the stirred cooled mixture over approximately 1 hr . then , the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 . 5 hr , followed by slow addition of n - acetyl - l - cysteine ethyl ester ( 6 . 81 g ., 0 . 033 mol ) dissolved in 20 ml dry thf over approximately 1 hr . the reaction mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature under a nitrogen atmosphere . after evaporating the thf , the residue was suspended in ethyl acetate ( 750 ml ) and was kept for 4 - 6 hr at 0 ° c . dicyclohexyl urea ( dcu ) was then filtered and discarded ; the ethyl acetate solution was washed three times with water ( 3 × 100 ml ). it was then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated under vacuum . the product ( 17 - 18 g .) was further purified by using column chromatography . a column of 5 cm . diameter was filled with silica gel ( 180 - 200 g ., 60 angstrom flash chromatography from aldrich ). the product was dissolved first in a minimum quantity of ethyl acetate : hexane ( 60 : 40 ) and was loaded on the column . the column was developed under gravity ( rather than flash chromatography ) with ethyl acetate : hexane ( 60 : 40 ). fifty ml fractions were collected and monitored by tlc using either iodine or uw light . the fractions containing the product were combined and solvents were removed under reduced pressure . the residue was dissolved in chloroform ( 300 ml ), first washed with 5 % hcl ( 2 × 30 ml ) and then saturated nacl ( 3 × 60 ml ). the organic layer was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered , and the solvent evaporated . the residue was dissolved in a minimum quantity of chloroform , and petroleum ether was added until the solution became turbid . the suspension was kept overnight in the refrigerator and then filtered to get the pure crystallized product . the compound was dried under vacuum over p 2 o 5 to a yield of 6 . 5 g . ( 75 %, based on the n - acetyl - l - cysteine ), m . p . 76 - 77 ° c . to a 250 ml three neck flask fitted with a thermometer , a magnetic stirrer , a 50 - ml pressure - compensated addition funnel , and a friedrich &# 39 ; s condenser under nitrogen , was added 10 g ( 52 . 3 mmoles ) of n - acetyl - l - cysteine ethyl ester , 8 . 0 ml of dry pyridine and 60 ml of dry benzene . pyruvoyl chloride ( 0 . 104 mole , 2 eq ) was added dropwise over a period of 0 . 5 hr . while maintaining a temperature of 5 ° c . to 10 ° c . then , the reaction mixture was allowed to warm to 25 ° c . and stirred for 2 hours at this temperature . the benzene solvent was then evaporated under vacuum . the crude product was purified as above to yield 11 . 15 g of the desired compound ( 82 %). synthesized wherein the above procedure was followed using n -[ 2 h 3 ] acetyl - l - cysteine ethyl ester to form ( d 3 - pnace ). the latter was prepared by reacting l - cysteine ethyl ester with [ 2 h 6 ] acetic anhydride . set forth hereinbelow are certain analytical characteristics of the composition of the invention provided to facilitate identification thereof , but not intended to limit the scope . mp : 65 ° c . ; rf ( ethyl acetate / petroleum ether : 3 / 2 ): 0 . 52 ; ir ( nicolet 300 , ccl 4 ) ( cm - 1 ): 3435 ( v n - h ); 3000 ( v c - h ); 1747 ( v co - o ) ester ; 1731 ( v co - s ) thioester ; 1687 ( v co - co , co - n ) ketoester , amide ; 1497 , 1378 . 3 , 1210 . 1 ______________________________________nmr . sup . 1 h , 300 mhz ( varian , cdcl . sub . 3 , tms ) ( ppm ): 1 . 33 ( t , . sup . 3 j = 7 . 13 , 3h , och . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ) 2 . 10 ( s , 3h , coch . sub . 3 ) 2 . 50 ( s , 3h , ch . sub . 3 coco ) 3 . 45 ( dd , . sup . 3 j = 4 . 10 hz , . sup . 3 j = 8 . 95 hz , 2h , ch . sub . 2 -- s ) 4 . 23 ( dd , . sup . 3 j = 7 . 13 hz , 2h , ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ) 4 . 83 ( m , 1h , ch ) 6 . 50 ( sl , 1h , nh ) mass spectrum , electron ionization ( m / z ): 190 ( m - ch . sub . 3 coco , 33 ) 118 ( 26 ) 102 ( 56 ); 76 ( 33 ), 60 ( 90 ), 43 ( ch . sub . 3 co . sup .+, 100 ) nmr . sup . 13 c , 100 . 12 mhz ( bruker , cdcl . sub . 3 , tms ) ( ppm ): 190 . 6 ; 188 . 08 keto , ketoester 168 . 6 , 168 . 08 ester , amide 60 . 1 ( och . sub . 2 ) 49 . 5 ( ch . sub . 2 s ) 28 . 4 ( chnh ) 21 . 9 ( ch . sub . 3 coco ) 20 . 8 ( ch . sub . 3 co ) 12 . 1 ( ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 ) mass spectrum , ammonia chemical ionization ( m / z ): 279 ( m + 18 , 100 ); 262 ( m + 1 , 93 ); 209 ( 49 ); 192 ( 60 ) 175 ( 18 ), 158 ( 26 ) ______________________________________ ii . pyruvate - n -[ 2 h 3 ] acetyl - l - cysteine ethyl ester : d 3 - pnace ( deuterated ) ______________________________________nmr . sup . 1 h , 300 mhz ( varian , cdcl . sub . 3 , tms ) ( ppm ): 1 . 34 ( t , . sup . 3 j = 7 . 13 , 3h , och . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ) 2 . 50 ( s , 3h , ch . sub . 3 coco ) 3 . 42 ( dd , . sup . 3 j = 4 . 10 hz , . sup . 3 j = 8 . 95 hz , 2h , ch . sub . 2 -- s ) 4 . 25 ( dd , . sup . 3 j = 7 . 13 hz , 2h , ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ) 4 . 90 ( m , 1h , ch ) 6 . 50 ( sl , 1h , nh ) mass spectrum , electron ionization ( m / z ): 193 ( m - ch . sub . 3 coco , 17 ); 121 ( 4 ); 103 ( 29 ); 77 ( 12 ); 63 ( 26 ); 43 ( ch . sub . 3 co , 100 ) nmr . sup . 13 c , 100 mhz ( bruker , cdcl . sub . 3 , tms ) ( ppm ): 190 . 5 ; 187 . 08 keto , ketoester 168 . 5 , 168 . 10 ester , amide 60 . 1 ( och . sub . 2 ) 49 . 1 ( ch . sub . 2 s ) 28 . 1 ( chnh ) 20 . 8 ( ch . sub . 3 coco ) 19 . 9 ( cd . sub . 3 co ) 12 . 0 ( ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 ) mass spectrum , ammonia chemical ionization ( m / z ): 282 ( m + 18 , 42 ); 265 ( m + 1 , 47 ); 212 ( 23 ), 195 ( 37 ); 178 ( 53 ); 161 ( 100 ); 106 ( 23 ); 89 ( 15 ). ______________________________________ the following is believed to represent aspects of the human system for ethanol oxidation , but is supplied only as a representation of the theory , and is not intended to limit the invention in any way . ethanol is oxidized to acetate in the liver and the stomach by two reactions catalyzed by alcohol dehydrogenase ( adh ) and aldehyde dehydrogenase ( aldh ) which use nad + as coenzyme . the bulk of adh activity is in the liver . aldh activity appears to occur in most tissues . the adh reaction is reversible ; the mid - potential of the ethanol / acetaldehyde couple is - 230 mv , which is very close to that of the lactate / pyruvate couple (- 225 mv ). in the absence of aldh , the plasma ethanol / acetaldehyde ratio would be similar to the lactate / pyruvate ratio ( about 10 ). however , the equilibrium of adh is displaced by aldh , the equilibrium of which is far toward acetate because of the very negative mid - potential of the acetaldehyde / acetate couple (- 265 mv ). as a result , the ethanol / acetaldehyde ratio is very high (& gt ; 1000 ) and the acetaldehyde concentration difficult to measure ( in the low μm range ) unless aldh is inhibited by disulfiram . in this invention , strategies for accelerating ethanol oxidation target the adh pathway , but may have an impact on some of the toxic effects derived from non - adh pathways . ingestion of alcoholic beverages leads to ethanol concentrations in body fluids that are much higher than the km of liver adh for ethanol . for example , in many u . s . states , the legal limit of blood ethanol concentration compatible with driving a car , is 0 . 75 g / l or 17 mm . drunkenness occurs at concentrations above 30 mm , and alcoholic coma at variable concentrations above 40 mm . reducing equivalents generated in the cytosol by ethanol oxidation , are transferred to the mitochondria via the malate / aspartate and the citrate / malate shuttles . in mitochondria , reducing equivalents are oxidized in the respiratory chain . ethanol oxidation can be seen as a sequence of three processes catalyzed by adh , the reducing equivalent shuttles and the respiratory chain . it is possible to set up in vitro conditions where ethanol oxidation is limited either by adh , the shuttles or the respiratory chain . however , in the intact in vivo liver , ethanol oxidation appears limited by the capacity of the respiratory chain to oxidize reducing equivalents , which itself is set by the atp turnover . under extreme conditions , most of the liver o 2 uptake is used to oxidize the reducing equivalents derived from ethanol . since the rate of ethanol oxidation is limited by the atp turnover , an increase in this turnover raises the capacity to oxidize ethanol . in chronic ethanol ingestion ( before liver decompensation ), hyperthyroidism and chronic exposure to cold , the liver atp turnover and the capacity of ethanol oxidation increase . in fact , a single gavage of ethanol induces ( i ) an increase in the rate of o 2 uptake by the rat liver perfused in the absence of ethanol , and ( ii ) an increase in the in vivo capacity of rats and humans to oxidize a second dose of ethanol . in isolated livers , one can accelerate ethanol oxidation by imposing a drain on atp with ureogenic substrates ( nh 4 cl + ornithine + asparagine for example ), gluconeogic substrates or uncoupler of the respiratory chain . in dogs , an intragastric gavage of nh 4 hco 3 increases the rate of ethanol oxidation . however , the toxicity of uncouplers precludes their use in vivo . the liver of an adult human accounts for only 2 % of body weight . however , the liver receives 100 % of water - soluble nutrients absorbed from the gut . in addition , it must handle part of the lipid material ( i ) absorbed from the gut via the lymphatic system and ( ii ) released by adipose tissue lipolysis . only a small fraction of nutrients &# 39 ; energy is used in the liver . most of this energy is exported as substrate molecules to peripheral tissues . the o 2 uptake of the 1 . 5 kg liver of a 75 kg subject is about 3 mol / day . thus , the maximum atp production of the liver is 18 mol / day . if all this o 2 uptake were used to oxidize ethanol to co 2 , only 1 . 1 mol of ethanol ( 51 g ) could be oxidized per day . this would leave no room for ( i ) the obligatory hepatic atp production from protein catabolism , ( ii ) atp production from carbohydrate and fat catabolism . the liver manages this energy plethora by exporting most of the potential energy of ethanol as acetate , thus decreasing by 80 % the hepatic atp production from ethanol . acetate is well used in peripheral tissues . while most ethanol can be exported from the liver , there is no large - scale mechanism for exporting reducing equivalents from the liver . one obvious export mechanism would ( i ) trap reducing equivalents in the conversion of pyruvate to lactate , and ( ii ) export lactate to peripheral tissues . however , plasma pyruvate concentration is very low ( 0 . 05 - 0 . 1 mm ). pyruvate could be generated from glucose and amino acids , but these processes would further increase the liver &# 39 ; s atp burden . for these reasons the exogenous pyruvate compounds of the present invention are particularly suited to assist the body with ethanol oxidation . the unregulated production of reducing equivalents in the liver increases the cytosolic and mitochondrial [ nadh ]/[ nad + ] ratios . this redox shift inhibits gluconeogenesis from proteins and the recycling of glucose in the cori cycle by displacing the equilibrium of lactate , rnalate and α - glycero - p dehydrogenases . if the hepatic glycogen reserves are exhausted ( for example after more than 12 hr of fasting ), inhibition of gluconeogenesis can induce alcoholic hypoglycemia which can lead to hypoglycemic coma , brain damage and death . in addition , the redox shift inhibits the citric acid cycle at α - ketoglutarate dehydrogenase , lowering co 2 production and the respiratory quotient sometimes to almost zero . then , all the liver o 2 uptake is used to oxidize the reducing equivalents derived from ethanol . other processes are involved in the hepatic toxicity of ethanol : binding of acetaldehyde to proteins , damage to proteins by free radicals ( superoxide , hydroxyl ) probably generated by cytochrome p450 iie1 , which is induced by chronic alcohol ingestion . there is evidence that ethanol generates pro - oxidant reactive species in both the liver and the central nervous system . this leads to depletion of glutathione and to the covalent binding of hydroxyethyl radicals to liver microsomal proteins . free radical damage and malnutrition are most likely implicated in the cirrhotic process . fatty acid ethyl esters ( faee ) have been identified in liver and in organs where oxidative metabolism of ethanol is minimal or absent , but which are commonly damaged by ethanol abuse : brain , pancreas , myocardium , and in cells cultured in the presence of ethanol . faee are formed by a synthase and an acyl - coa : ethanol acyltransferase activity present in microsomes and cytosol of these organs . faee synthase activity is also present in white blood cells . after ethanol ingestion , faee are found in ldls . serum faee concentrations , assayed by gcms , correlate with ethanol concentration . the half - life of plasma faee is ˜ 1 min ; they undergo hydrolysis in plasma and uptake by organs . faee bind to myocardial mitochondria in vitro and in vivo . the mitochondria hydrolyze faee to fatty acids , which are uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation . this may account for the impaired mitochondrial function and inefficient energy production associated with the toxic effects of ethanol on the heart . also , the accumulation of faee in embryos of rats given ethanol has been linked to the fetal - alcohol syndrome . amethystic agents could be used to treat alcoholic coma . ethanol concentrations are typically in the 50 to 70 mm range . this condition is life threatening because it can mask alcoholic hypoglycemia leading to brain damage and possibly death . in addition , anesthesia of the respiratory center by ethanol depresses respiration and coughing , leading to respiratory acidosis and pulmonary infection . sometimes , respiratory depression leads to respiratory arrest . also , general alcoholic anesthesia induces hypothermia which itself can be lethal . patients in alcoholic coma brought to the emergency room could be infused with amethystic agents until they regain some consciousness and show no depression of respiration . similarly , if safe oral amethystic agents were available , their ingestion between alcoholic drinks , or sometimes before driving an automobile , could dramatically decrease the rate of accidents or violence while under the influence . ethanol oxidation in liver is limited by the capacity of the respiratory chain to oxidize reducing equivalents derived from the conversion of ethanol to acetate . the administration of pyruvate will accelerate ethanol oxidation by exporting the reducing equivalents in the form of lactate . this export will shift the burden of disposing of reducing equivalents from the liver ( 2 % of body weight ) to the bulk of peripheral tissues . lactate is well used by peripheral tissues , particularly by muscle and kidney . in these tissues , lactate oxidation to co 2 will probably result in an underutilization of fatty acids , glucose and glycogen . the notion of cori cycle , in which lactate derived from glycolysis in erythrocytes is recycled to glucose in the liver , does not exclude oxidation of a large fraction of this lactate in peripheral tissues . pyruvic acid is a strong , unstable ketoacid which cannot be administered orally or parenterally . sodium pyruvate is stable in dry form and could be dissolved as an isotonic solution just before use . however , the sodium and water loads would kill the patient . the effects of the sodium load is compounded by the difference between the volumes of distribution of sodium ( 20 % of body wt ) and of ethanol ( 67 % of body wt ). consider a numerical example : suppose we want to decrease the ethanol concentration by 20 mm in a 75 kg patient . the ethanol pool must decrease by 20 × 75 × 0 . 67 = 1 , 000 mmol . since the oxidation of 1 mol ethanol generates 2 nadh , we need to supply 2 × 1 , 000 = 2 , 000 mmol of sodium pyruvate as 2 , 000 / 150 = 13 . 3 liters of isotonic solution ( 150 mm ). such volume cannot be administered safely . in addition , the 2 , 000 meq of sodium supplied is similar to the patient &# 39 ; s original sodium pool : 140 × 75 × 0 . 2 = 2 , 100 meq . therefore , sodium pyruvate cannot be used . however , esters of pyruvate are stable and ph neutral . esters of glycerol and / or dihydroxyacetone are preferred forms of amethystic agents for this invention . the ester will be hydrolyzed to pyruvic acid by non - specific esterases present in plasma , tissues and the gastrointestinal tract . pyruvic acid will be neutralized by the body &# 39 ; s buffers . then , pyruvate will be reduced in the liver to lactate which will be oxidized to co 2 in peripheral tissues . overall , the strong pyruvic acid will be replaced by a weak acid which is eliminated by the lungs . from an acid - base point of view , this is similar to the oxidation to co 2 of neutral compounds such as glucose and triacylglycerols . these oxidations pass through strong acids : pyruvic , lactic , acetoacetic and r - β - hydroxybutyric which are converted to weak and volatile co 2 . thus , as long as the rate of pyruvate ester infusion matches the capacity of peripheral tissues to oxidize lactate , the concentration of the latter could be kept at a safe level (& lt ; 10 mm ), without major acid - base disturbance . the transient increase in the anion gap would not be greater than what occurs after strenuous muscular exercise . a second set of the inventive compounds are dipyruvyl - acetyl - glycerol ( dpag ) and pyruvyl - acetyl - dihydroxyacetone ( pada ). as with pnace , these compounds are metabolizable substrates which counteract the effects of reperfusion injury . glycerol is a physiological substrate which is well tolerated in large amounts and although dha is not known to exist as such in body fluids , it is quickly phosphorylated by liver glycerol kinase to dihydroxyacetone phosphate ( dhap ) which is a glycolytic intermediate . similarly dpag and pada can be infused in vivo to deliver a therapeutic concentration of pyruvate without lactic acidosis and sodium overload . however , because dpag and pada can be administered in very high doses , they are also agents for accelerating ethanol oxidation in the liver , via transfer of reducing equivalents to peripheral tissues in the form of lactate . glycerol is a physiological substrate . it is released by adipose tissue lipolysis and is taken up by the liver , which is the major site of glycerol kinase activity ( some glycerol kinase is also present in kidney ). glycerol kinase generates glycerol - phosphate which has 3 fates : glucose , glycerides / phospholipids , and lactate . dha is converted to physiological dihydroxyacetone - phosphate ( dhap ) by glycerol kinase . then , dhap has the same fates as glycerol . dha is the oxidized counterpart of glycerol . the rate of administration of pyruvate esters should be adjusted to keep lactate concentration below 10 mm . such lactate concentrations , in the 5 to 10 mm range , favor the competition for oxidation with other fuels such as fatty acids and glucose . one can favor lactate oxidation by infusing a small amount of dichloroacetate ( dca , final concentration 1 mm ), an activator of pyruvate dehydrogenase ( pdh ). this drug is used for the treatment of various types of lactic acidosis , in particular those resulting from congenitally low activities of pdh in peripheral tissues because of the particular benefits of the thiol in pnace , a dual strategy to prevent and / or treat reperfusion injury is considered advantageous . moreover , to safely deliver large amounts of pyruvate without sodium or nitrogen load , esters of pyruvate with either glycerol or dihydroxyacetone , i . e . dpag or pada can be used . pnace is not a means to supply large amounts of pyruvate , since pharmacologically nac concentrations of below 0 . 1 mm are often desirable , while effective pyruvate concentrations are 1 - 2 mm . thus , pyruvate - glycerol or pyruvate - dha ester is infused in large amounts together with smaller amounts of pnace . rat livers were infused with ethanol and the components of the esters of glycerol - and - dha pyruvate to represent the conditions that will occur after ester hydrolysis . livers from 24 h - fasted rats were perfused with non - recirculating buffer containing 4 mm glucose and 2 mm ethanol ( 20 times the km of adh for ethanol , to insure zero order kinetics ). after 10 min baseline , the influent perfusate was enriched with various equimolar concentrations of the components of the esters , ie dha + na - pyruvate , or glycerol + na - pyruvate ( up to 2 . 2 mm ). these conditions simulated infusion and hydrolysis of glycerol - or dha - monopyruvate . the uptakes of ethanol , pyruvate , dha and glycerol , as well as the productions of lactate and glucose were measured . addition of the components of the pyruvate esters increased ethanol uptake up to 5 fold ( fig3 and 4 ). as expected , the uptake of ethanol was greater in the presence of dha than in the presence of glycerol . this clearly shows that dha contributes to the trapping of reducing equivalents derived from ethanol oxidation . in perfusions with glycerol + pyruvate , correlation between pyruvate uptake and lactate output was linear with a slope of 0 . 7 ( fig5 solid circles ). thus , 70 % of the pyruvate taken up was converted to lactate . in perfusions with dha + pyruvate ( fig5 open circles ), the correlation had also a slope of 0 . 7 up to a pyruvate uptake of 13 μmol / min · g dry wt ( corresponding to influent dha and pyruvate concentrations of 0 . 7 mm ). at higher dha and pyruvate concentrations , the slope increased to 1 . 45 . however , at the highest dha and pyruvate concentration used , the ratio ( lactate release )/( pyruvate uptake ) was 0 . 96 . the fraction of pyruvate uptake not accounted for was presumably converted to glucose and co 2 . fig6 shows that the uptake of glycerol and dha increased with their concentration in the perfusate . as long as the ( lactate production )/( pyruvate uptake ) ratio was less than 1 . 0 , there was no net conversion of glycerol or dha to lactate . this occurred only at high dha concentration . thus , most of the glycerol and dha were converted to glucose , glycerides , co 2 or to a combination of these species . fig7 shows the relationship between ethanol uptake and lactate production . lactate yield was lower when pyruvate was infused with dha rather than glycerol . before the infusion of the components of the pyruvate esters , the effluent [ lactate ]/[ pyruvate ] ratio could not be measured with precision , but must have been very high given the presence of ethanol . as the concentrations of the ester components increased from 0 . 4 to 2 . 2 mm , the [ lactate ]/[ pyruvate ] ratio went down from about 12 to about 2 . thus , essentially all reducing equivalents generated from ethanol were exported as lactate . the oxidized status of the liver nadh / nad + system may have allowed oxidation of part of the substrates , including acetate derived from ethanol . in summary , these experiments confirmed that ethanol oxidation is stimulated by the components of dha - pyruvate and glycerol - pyruvate . dha is preferred as it acts not only as an esterifying group for pyruvate but also as a trap for reducing equivalents in its own right . after preparing pure dpag , experiments were performed to test whether it could be used to impose a therapeutic concentration of 1 mm pyruvate in arterial blood . overnight - fasted rats , anesthetized with halothane , were infused in the jugular vein with dpag at 90 μmol · min - 1 · kg - 1 for 90 min . this rate corresponds to about 120 % of the rats &# 39 ; caloric requirement . five blood samples ( 70 μl ) were taken from the carotid artery between 60 and 90 min . the arterial concentrations of pyruvate , lactate , and glycerol were clamped at 1 . 0 , 2 . 5 , and 0 . 8 mm , respectively . corresponding portal vein concentrations at 90 min were 0 . 6 , 2 . 5 , and 1 . 0 mm , respectively . fig8 and 9 show blood concentrations of metabolites in rats infused with dpag ( panel a ) and in control rats infused with saline ( panel b ). control rats show normal arterial concentrations of pyruvate ( 0 . 05 mm ) and lactate ( 0 . 3 to 0 . 6 mm ; normal values for lactate are up to 1 . 5 mm ). in rats infused with dpag , the arterial concentrations of pyruvate and lactate were clamped at 1 . 0 , and 2 . 5 mm , respectively . corresponding portal vein concentrations at 90 min were 0 . 6 and 2 . 5 mm , respectively . arterial glucose remained at 5 - 6 mm . final samples of aortic blood showed normal acid - base and electrolyte parameters . thus , dpag can be safely used to set up the 1 mm target concentration of pyruvate expected to be beneficial for the treatment of reperfusion injury . similar data were obtained when pada was infused to rats . this was achieved without sodium overload and / or acid - base perturbations . second , the lack of major increases in glucose and lactate concentrations shows that administration of dpag at 120 % of the caloric requirement spares endogenous energy sources , probably including proteins . third , during peripheral administration of dpag at 90 μmol · min - 1 · kg - 1 , portal pyruvate concentration was about 2 / 3 that which yielded a 3 to 6 - fold increase in ethanol uptake by perfused rat livers . a portal pyruvate concentration of 1 mm could be achieved ( i ) by increasing the peripheral infusion of dpag to 120 μmol · min - 1 · kg - 1 , or ( ii ) by administering dpag enterally to better target portal vein concentrations . dpag can thus be safely used to set up the 1 mm target concentration of arterial pyruvate expected to be beneficial for the treatment of ethanol overdose and reperfusion injury . this was achieved without sodium overload and / or acid - base perturbations . also , the lack of major increases in glucose and lactate concentrations shows that administration of dpag at 120 % of the caloric requirement spares endogenous energy sources , probably including proteins . the effect of dpag on the rate of ethanol uptake by perfused rat livers was also tested . livers were perfused with non - recirculating buffer containing 4 mm glucose , 2 mm ethanol and variable concentrations of dpag ( 0 to 1 . 5 mm ). fig1 shows that the uptake of ethanol by the liver increases 2 . 5 fold when dpag concentration is raised from zero to 0 . 5 mm . note that 0 . 5 mm dpag corresponds to 1 mm pyruvate after hydrolysis . thus , to accelerate ethanol oxidation in vivo , the rate of dpag administration should be adjusted to achieve a 1 mm concentration of free pyruvate in the portal vein . when dpag was infused to live rats at 90 μmol · min - 1 · kg - 1 , the portal vein concentration of pyruvate was 0 . 6 mm . a portal pyruvate concentration of 1 mm could be achieved in vivo ( i ) by increasing the peripheral infusion of dpag to 120 μmol · min - 1 · kg - 1 , or ( ii ) by administering dpag enterally to better target portal vein concentrations . accordingly , dpag and pada are effective in the treatment of alcoholic coma to prevent complications such as brain damage , hypothermia , respiratory depression , and pulmonary infection and in the oral intake of the esters in conjunction with ingestions of alcoholic beverages , to accelerate ethanol oxidation and restore the capacity to drive a vehicle or operate machinery dpag was prepared by esterification of 1 - acetyl - glycerol ( 1 - monoacetin ) with pyruvyl chloride . to a 250 ml three - neck flask fitted with a thermometer , a mechanical stirrer , a 25 ml dropping funnel , and flushed with dry nitrogen , one adds 5 . 0 g of anhydrous monoacetin ( dried for 2 days under vacuum ), 8 . 0 ml of anhydrous pyridine , and 100 ml of anhydrous benzene . the flask is cooled below 10 ° c . with an ice + salt slurry . freshly distilled pyruvyl chloride ( 6 . 0 ml , 1 equivalent ) is added dropwise over 15 min , while maintaining the temperature below 10 ° c . then , the reaction mixture ( showing a white precipitate of pyridinium chloride ) is stirred for 1 hr at room temperature . the reaction mixture is filtered , to remove the pyridinium salt , and concentrated at 30 ° c . on a rotavapor under high vacuum . the crude yellow product is dissolved in 50 ml of chloroform , washed once with 10 ml of hcl 1n , and stirred with 4 g of amberlyst - 15 for 4 hr . the solvent is evaporated on a rotavapor under high vacuum at 30 ° c . maximum . the yield of dpag ( light yellow oil ) is 9 . 6 g ( 94 %). the formula of dpag was verified by ( i ) nmr 1 h and 13 c , ( ii ) infrared spectra , ( iii ) enzymatic assay of the components of dpag after hydrolysis , and ( iv ) hplc before and after hydrolysis . nmr 1 h ( 200 mhz varian ), solvent cdcl 3 , reference tms ( δ in ppm ): 5 . 30 ( m , 1h , ch ); 4 . 50 - 4 . 00 ( m , 4h , ch 2 o ); 2 . 40 ( s , 6h , ch 3 coco ); 2 . 00 ( s , 3h , ch 3 co ); nmr 1 h in agreement with the formula and the theoretical nmr spectra software acd / labs demo . nmr 13 c ( 200 mhz varian ), solvent cdcl 3 , reference tms ( δ in ppm ): 188 . 9 , 188 . 7 ( 2c , carbonyls ); 170 . 2 ( 1c , acetyl ); 157 . 8 , 157 . 9 ( 2c , pyruvyl ); 68 . 9 ( 1c , ch ); 61 . 5 , 59 . 4 ( 2c , ch 2 o ); 24 . 6 ( 2c , ch 3 ); 18 . 4 ( 1c , ch 3 ) in agreement with the formula and the theoretical nmr spectra software acd / labs demo . ir ( cm - 1 , ccl 4 ): 3537 ( oh bonds from hydrated c ═ o ), 2984 ; 1756 , 1751 , 1740 , 1736 , 1729 ( c ═ o ); 1383 , 1231 . the nmr and ir spectra show that two molecules of water are fixed on carbonyl groups to form stable hydrated keto esters . incubation of dpag with pig liver esterase liberates the components of the ester which were determined by enzymatic assays , thus confirming the formula of dpag . pdag was prepared in 81 % yield by reacting diacetyl - glycerol with pyruvyl chloride , using the above procedure . the formula of pdag was verified by ( i ) nmr 1 h and 13 c , ( ii ) infrared spectra , ( iii ) enzymatic assay of the components of dpag after hydrolysis , and ( iv ) hplc before and after hydrolysis . nmr 1 h ( 200 mhz varian ); solvent : cdcl 3 , reference tms ( δ in ppm ): 5 . 28 ( m , 1h , ch ); 4 . 38 - 4 . 14 ( m , 4h , ch 2 o ); 2 . 41 ( s , 3h , ch 3 coco ); 2 . 01 ( s , 6h , ch 3 co ). nmr 1 h in agreement with the formula . nmr 13 c ( 200 mhz varian ), solvent : cdcl 3 , reference tms ( δ in ppm ): 190 . 9 ( 1c , carbonyl ); 170 . 4 ( 2c , acetyl ); 159 . 8 ( 1c , pyruvyl ); 71 . 5 ( 1c , ch acetyl ); 68 . 6 ( 1c , ch pyruvyl ); 61 . 9 , 61 . 8 ( 2c , ch 2 o ); 24 . 7 ( 1c , ch 3 pyruvyl ); 20 . 6 ( 2c , ch 3 acetyl ) in agreement with the formula . ir ( cm - 1 , ccl 4 ): 3593 ( oh bond , from hydrated c ═ o ), 2973 , 1762 ( c ═ o bond ), 1752 ( c ═ o bond ), 1744 ( c ═ o bond ), 1736 ( c ═ o bond ), 1374 , 1242 . the nmr and ir spectra show that on a small fraction of the molecules , one molecule of water is fixed on a carbonyl group to form a stable hydrated keto ester . pada was prepared in 95 % yield by esterification of dihydroxyacetone monoacetyl with pyruvyl chloride , as above . tlc on silica ( developed with chloroform / methano / hexane 12 / 1 / 1 and revealed with iodine ) showed one spot corresponding to pada ( rf 0 . 45 - 0 . 50 ), and no dihydroxyacetone , dihydroxyacetone monoacetate , or dihydroxyacetone diacetate . the formula of pada was verified by ( i ) nmr 1 h and 13 c , ( ii ) infrared spectra , ( iii ) enzymatic assay of the components of pada after hydrolysis , and ( iv ) hplc before and after hydrolysis . nmr 1 h ( 200 mhz varian ), solvent cdcl 3 , reference tms ( δ in ppm ): pada ( keto form ): 4 . 94 ( s , 2h , ch 2 ococo ); 4 . 74 ( s , 2h , ch 2 oco ); 2 . 49 ( s , 3h , ch 3 coco ); 2 . 08 ( s , 3h , ch 3 co ). nmr 13 c ( 200 mhz varian ), solvent cdcl 3 , reference tms ( δ in ppm ): pada ( keto form ): 198 . 0 ( 1c , keto of dha ); 192 . 9 ( 1c , keto of pyruvyl ); 170 1 ( 1c , acetyl ); 159 . 1 ( 1c , pyruvyl ); 67 . 3 , 66 . 3 ( 2c , ch 2 o ); 26 . 7 ( ic , ch 3 , pyruvyl ); 20 . 3 ( 1c , ch 3 acetyl ). spectra in agreement with the formula . enzymatic assay of pyruvate after hydrolysis was in agreement with the formula . thus it is apparent that there has been provided , in accordance with the invention , a novel pyruvate compound and a method of treating ischernia that fully satisfies the objects , aims and advantages set forth above . while the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof it is evident that many alternatives , modifications , and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description . accordingly , it is intended to raise all such alternatives , modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims .