title: Effect of alcohol intake on the levels of plasma homocysteine in healthy males.
abstract: Hyperhomocysteinemia in chronic alcoholics has been reported, but it remains unclear whether relatively low alcohol intake compared with the previous reports affects the plasma homocysteine level. To investigate this issue, we performed two studies, a population-based study and an alcohol withdrawal study. An analysis of plasma homocysteine levels in a population of 236 healthy males showed no significant association between alcohol consumption and other tested parameters. In the withdrawal study, the subjects with a history of daily alcohol consumption (81.8 +/- 33.0 g/d, mean +/- SD, 40-150g/d, range) abstained from alcohol for 4 wk. After withdrawal, the levels of serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly decreased, but the plasma homocysteine level did not change. These results suggest that alcohol intake, at least as far as the amount of beverages our study subjects consumed, has no effect on the plasma homocysteine level in healthy males.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan. ayaori@ba2.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayaori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hisada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shige
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yonemura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ohsuzu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saionji
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D006710:Homocysteine; D000431:Ethanol; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases