title: Platelet serotonin uptake in men with family histories of alcoholism.
abstract: Platelet serotonin uptake kinetics were examined in a carefully screened group of 28 male subjects, half of whom had an alcoholic father. Paired subjects were matched for a variety of characteristics, including age, race, sex, substance use history, height/weight ratio, season, and time of day for platelet serotonin uptake assays. The family history positive group had a significantly (p = 0.01) higher mean Vmax for platelet serotonin uptake (64.1 +/- 19, SD) compared to the control group without family histories of first-degree relatives with alcoholism (53.8 +/- 19). No significant differences in the affinity constant (Km) or in the Hill constant were found between groups. The results are consistent with the possibility that a higher Vmax of platelet serotonin uptake indicates a biologic factor associated with alcoholism risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, San Diego VAMC, California.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rausch
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Schuckit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin