Red blood cell fatty acid ethyl esters: a significant component of fatty acid ethyl esters in the blood.
Although alcohol abuse is known to cause an array of ethanol-induced red blood cell (RBC) abnormalities, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) are toxic, nonoxidative ethanol metabolites that have been found in blood, plasma, and tissues. Because FAEEs have been shown to be incorporated into phospholipid bilayers, we conducted a controlled ethanol intake study to test the hypothesis that FAEEs accumulate and persist within RBCs following ethanol ingestion. We demonstrated that RBC FAEEs account for approximately 5% to 20% of total whole-blood FAEEs, and that the fatty acid composition of FAEEs in RBCs and plasma are different and vary differently over time. These data indicate that a significant percentage of FAEEs in the blood is associated with RBCs and that the metabolism of RBC FAEEs and that of plasma FAEEs (bound to albumin or lipoproteins) are largely independent.
Best
Catherine A
CA
Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Cluette-Brown
Joanne E
JE
Teruya
Miho
M
Teruya
Ami
A
Laposata
Michael
M
D000328:Adult; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects*; D004952:Esters / Q000097:blood*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D000431:Ethanol