Increased erythrocyte calcium in alcoholism.
The intraerythrocyte calcium concentration in blood samples of 42 hospitalized alcoholic subjects was initially elevated but declined over a period of several weeks toward normal values. The abnormally high values, which appear to be a direct consequence of prior alcohol ingestion, may explain previous reports of lowered erythrocyte potassium in chronic alcoholics, since there is a specific calcium-gated potassium channel in erythrocyte membranes.
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D004221:Disulfiram / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D002118:Calcium; D004221:Disulfiram