Document Detail


The role of amino-acid transmitters in the pathogenesis of delirium tremens: a brief report.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  12380848     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: The importance of serum levels of amino-acid neurotransmitters and of relevant enzymes has not been adequately evaluated in alcoholics. It is hypothesized that several of these neurotransmitters would be likely to be elevated in alcoholics overall, those with alcoholic withdrawal and, especially, individuals undergoing severe withdrawal as might be seen in delirium tremens (DTs). METHOD: The subjects for these evaluations (N = 106 men) were 46 hospitalized patients with DTs, 20 subjects with an alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) in the absence of DTs, 20 alcohol-dependent individuals not demonstrating withdrawal (ADS) and 20 nonalcoholic controls. The analyses evaluated the serum levels of glutamate (Glu), aspartate (Asp), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine (Gly), as well as the activity of the relevant enzymes glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and GABA transaminase (GABA-T). RESULTS: In these analyses, the subjects with DTs had significantly lower serum values for Gly and GAD, as well as for GABA, while demonstrating elevated values for Asp and Glu. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the possibility that some of the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, especially DTs, may be related to an altered balance between neurotoxic, or excitatory, and inhibitory amino-acid neurotransmitters.
Authors:
Nadir N Aliyev; Zafar N Aliyev
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of studies on alcohol     Volume:  63     ISSN:  0096-882X     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Stud. Alcohol     Publication Date:  2002 Sep 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2002-10-16     Completed Date:  2003-03-03     Revised Date:  2006-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7503813     Medline TA:  J Stud Alcohol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  531-3     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Dispensary of Mental Hygiene, Baku, Azerbaian Republic. anadir@psychiat.baku.az
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / blood,  etiology*
Analysis of Variance
Ethanol / adverse effects
Humans
Male
Neurotransmitter Agents / blood,  physiology*
Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / blood,  etiology
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Neurotransmitter Agents; 64-17-5/Ethanol

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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