Swift Increase in Alcohol Metabolism in Humans

Autor: Ronald G. Thurman, Edward Glassman, Donald T. Forman, John A. Ewing, Isa Cheren
Rok vydání: 1989
Předmět:
Zdroj: Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 13:572-576
ISSN: 1530-0277
0145-6008
Popis: One hundred and fifteen human male subjects, 19–30 years of age, received ethanol orally as vodka (0.55, 0.7, or 0.85 g/kg) followed by a second drink (0.3–0.4 g/kg) given 3–4 hr later. After both doses, blood ethanol levels reached approximately 100 mg/dl. Breath samples were taken every 20-30 min and rates of ethanol elimination were determined. In addition to the design described above, 100 subjects received 0.7 g/kg ethanol in two separate visits to the laboratory. In a third experimental design, ethanol was given i.v. to 12 subjects. With the single-day experimental design, the frequency distribution of changes in rates of ethanol elimination between the first compared with the second administration of ethanol was not unimodal. Up to 20% of the subjects demonstrated rates more than 40% greater than basal values in response to ethanol. Based on these findings in humans, a Swift Increase in Alcohol Metabolism (SIAM) was defined as an increase in the rate of ethanol elimination of at least 40% over the basal rate. Under these conditions, the frequency of SIAM was dose dependent (studied with 0.55, 0.7, and 0.85 g/kg); nearly 20% of the subjects demonstrated SIAM with a dose of ethanol of 0.85 g/kg. In the two-day experimental design, a SIAM response was also observed in about 10% of 49 well-fed subjects; however, none of 51 subjects tested exhibited a SIAM response following an overnight fast. In addition, a rapid and transient SIAM reflecting a 60% increase in the rate of ethanol elimination above basal values was observed when ethanol was given continuously for 5 hr i.v. Thus, differing rates of absorption of ethanol cannot explain the activation of ethanol metabolism in humans by ethanol. Interestingly, subjects classified as SIAM in these studies reported fewer drinking problems in first and second degree relatives than subjects who did not demonstrate a SIAM response. Further, 3.2% of the non-SIAM subjects had a positive family history for alcoholism while none was reported in the SIAM group. These data demonstrate that SIAM exists in humans and suggest that it may be a trait that may protect some individuals against problem drinking and alcoholism.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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