CORRELATION
BETWEEN PLATELET MONOAMINE OXIDASE ACTIVITY AND SETOTONIN
CONTENT IN ALCOHOLISM SUBTYPES
Gülberk UÇAR* o, Baþaran
DEMÝR**, Samiye YABANOÐLU*, Berna ULUÐ**
* Hacettepe University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department
of Biochemistry, 06100 Sýhhiye, Ankara-TURKEY.
** Hacettepe University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department
of Psychiatry, 06100 Sýhhiye, Ankara-TURKEY.
oCorresponding Author
Summary
Since early-onset (Type II) alcoholics who exhibit antisocial
behavior have been suggested to possess serotonergic defects,
the present study was undertaken to compare alcoholic subtypes
(Type I versus Type II) with regard to their platelet monoamine
oxidase (MAO) activities and platelet and blood serotonin
(5-HT) contents in order to clarify the possible determinative
role of these biochemical markers in subtyping of alcoholics.
Seventeen Type I and 16 Type II chronic alcoholic patients
and 17 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Alcohol
intake variables and the severity of drinking problems of
the subjects were assessed by Schedules for Clinical Assessment
in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) and the Michigan Alcoholism Screening
Test (MAST), respectively. When compared to the healthy
subjects, platelet MAO activity and platelet 5-HT content
were found to be decreased whereas plasma 5-HT content was
increased in both alcoholic groups. Platelet MAO activity
and 5-HT level of the Type II group were significantly lower
and plasma 5-HT content significantly higher than those
of Type I patients, suggesting that the al-teration is more
predominant in early-onset alcoholism. Since a positive
correlation was found between platelet MAO activity and
5-HT content and a negative correlation between platelet
MAO activity and plasma 5-HT level, particularly in Type
II alcoholics, decreased platelet 5-HT content in Type II
alcoholics has been suggested to not result from the increased
serotonin metabolism by platelet MAO but rather to be possibly
caused by some defects in central 5-HT synthesis or its
reuptake mechanisms by platelets.
However, the results suggested that platelet 5-HT content
and MAO activity still appear to be useful biochemical measures
for the subtyping of alcoholics.
Key Words :
Alcoholism subtypes, platelet, monoamine oxidase,
serotonin (5-HT).
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