title: 5-hydroxytryptophol in the cerebrospinal fluid and urine of alcoholics and healthy subjects.
abstract: The serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxytryptophol was determined in cerebrospinal fluid and urine of alcoholics and healthy subjects, by a glass capillary gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method. The urinary excretion rate (14.6 +/- 2.9 pmoles/mumoles creatinine) and urine (109 +/- 20 pmoles/ml) and cerebrospinal fluid (4.12 +/- 0.21 pmoles/ml) concentrations in healthy subjects were established. Only 1% of the 5-hydroxytryptophol in urine occurred in free form. Ethanol ingestion (80, 120 g) by healthy subjects lead to a 20--100-fold increase in the urinary excretion rate of 5-hydroxytryptophol. In cerebrospinal fluid the increase was about 60%. Alcoholics had increased urinary excretion rates and cerebrospinal fluid levels during intoxication, which were in the same range as in intoxicated healthy subjects. During recovery from intoxication, the 5-hydroxytryptophol level in alcoholics decreased, but the CSF levels were still higher than in healthy subjects.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006917:Hydroxytryptophol / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D007211:Indoles / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007211:Indoles; D006917:Hydroxytryptophol; D012701:Serotonin