Increased urinary excretion of a major thromboxane metabolite in early alcohol withdrawal.
Urinary excretion of 2,3-dinor-thromboxane B2 as a marker of in vivo thromboxane A2 (TxA2) biosynthesis was measured in six alcoholics 1 and 14 days after the cessation of heavy drinking using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Six non-alcoholic healthy volunteers served as controls. One day after alcohol withdrawal the excretion of the dinor metabolite was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the alcoholics (408 +/- 42 pg mg-1 creatinine) than in the controls (180 +/- 30 pg mg-1 creatinine) and was accompanied by a significantly reduced platelet count (103.0 +/- 20.2 x 10(9) l-1 vs. 194.0 +/- 13.9 x 10(9) l-1 in controls; P < 0.01). The metabolite excretion fell then significantly (P < 0.05) to 245 +/- 53 pg mg-1 creatinine 14 days after alcohol withdrawal and this was paralleled by an increase in platelet count to 453.5 +/- 72.0 x 10(9) l-1 (P < 0.05). The present results support the hypothesis that Tx-A2 biosynthesis is increased in early alcohol withdrawal and strongly suggest platelets as a cellular origin of the increased TxA2 formation.
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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J
Neiman
J
J
Nowak
G
G
Benthin
H
H
Numminen
M
M
Hillbom
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010976:Platelet Count; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D013929:Thromboxane B2 / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine
D013929:Thromboxane B2; C028965:2,3-dinor-thromboxane B2