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Formation of Phosphatidylethanol and Its Subsequent Elimination During an Extensive Drinking Experiment Over 5 Days
Author(s) -
Gnann Heike,
Weinmann Wolfgang,
Thierauf Annette
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01768.x
Subject(s) - phosphatidylethanol , chemistry , chromatography , ethanol , zoology , alcohol , abstinence , blood alcohol , high performance liquid chromatography , poison control , medicine , biochemistry , injury prevention , biology , phospholipid , environmental health , membrane , phosphatidylcholine , psychiatry
Background For almost 30 years, phosphatidylethanol ( PE th) has been known as a direct marker of alcohol consumption. This marker stands for consumption in high amounts and for a longer time period, but it has been also detected after 1 high single intake of ethanol ( EtOH ). The aim of this study was to obtain further information about the formation and elimination of PE th 16:0/18:1 by simulating extensive drinking. Methods After 3 weeks of alcohol abstinence, 11 test persons drank an amount of EtOH leading to an estimated blood ethanol concentration of 1 g/kg on each of 5 successive days. After the drinking episode, they stayed abstinent for 16 days with regular blood sampling. PE th 16:0/18:1 analysis was performed using liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (high‐performance liquid chromatography 1100 system and QT rap 2000 triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Values of blood alcohol were obtained using a standardized method with headspace gas chromatography flame ionization detector. Results Maximum measured concentrations of EtOH were 0.99 to 1.83 g/kg (mean 1.32 g/kg). These values were reached 1 to 3 hours after the start of drinking (mean 1.9 hours). For comparison, 10 of 11 volunteers had detectable PE th 16:0/18:1 values 1 hour after the start of drinking, ranging from 45 to 138 ng/ml PE th 16:0/18:1. Over the following days, concentrations of PE th 16:0/18:1 increased continuously and reached the maximum concentrations of 74 to 237 ng/ml between days 3 and 6. Conclusions This drinking experiment led to measurable PE th concentrations. However, PE th 16:0/18:1 concentrations stayed rather low compared with those of alcohol abusers from previous studies.