title: The use of 5-hydroxytryptophol as an alcohol intake marker.
abstract: 5-Hydroxytryptophol (5HTOL) occurs naturally in animals as a metabolite of serotonin. Ethanol interacts with serotonin metabolism to increase the production of 5HTOL at the expense of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA). This can be used clinically in the treatment of alcohol dependence to improve the detection of relapse in alcohol drinking, by monitoring daily the urinary 5HTOL/5HIAA ratio. In one experiment the sensitivity of this marker in detecting alcohol drinking the previous day was more than 10-fold greater than measuring urinary ethanol. Genetic polymorphism in alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases, which is known to influence the ethanol metabolism, does not confound the clinical use of 5HTOL as a marker. Disulfiram and cyanamide, however, will elevate urinary 5HTOL/5HIAA ratio.
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institute, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Helander
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borg
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000652:urine*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000628:therapy / Q000652:urine*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000652:urine; D006917:Hydroxytryptophol / Q000652:urine*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013695:Temperance
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006917:Hydroxytryptophol; D012701:Serotonin; D000431:Ethanol; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid