Summary
The effect of ethanol on the formation of platelet thromboxane B2 (TXB2), a stable metabolite of thromboxane A2 (TXA2) was studied in vitro in six chronic alcoholics, admitted for detoxification, and in six healthy volunteers. Immediately after cessation of heavy drinking platelet count and ADP-induced TXB2 formation were lower in alcoholics than in nonalcoholic volunteers (P < 0.05). Ten days after withdrawal of ethanol platelet count increased, and skin bleeding time shortened (P < 0.05). Ethanol had no effect on arachidonate-induced platelet TXB2 formation, whereas ethanol added to platelet suspension prior to stimulation by ADP resulted in a concentration-related inhibitory tendency in both alcoholics and nonalcoholic control subjects. This effect of ethanol may be of significance for primary hemostasis in alcoholics.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Carlsson C, Häggendal J (1967) Arterial noradrenaline levels after ethanol withdrawal. Lancet 2:889
Carter AJ, Heptinstall S (1985) Platelet aggregation in whole blood: The role of thromboxane A2 and adenosine diphosphate. Haemostasis 54:612–616
Chin JH, Goldstein DB (1981) Membrane-disordering action of ethanol. Variation with membrane cholesterol content and depth of the spin label probe. Mol Pharmacol 19:425–431
Cowan DH, Graham RC, Jr (1975) Studies on the platelet defect in alcoholism. Thromb Diathes Haemorrh 33:310–327
Cowan DH (1980) Effect of alcoholism in hemostasis. Semin Haematol 17:137–147
Desai K, Owen JS, Wilson DT, Hutton RA (1986) Platelet aggregation and plasma lipoproteins in alcoholics during alcohol withdrawal. Thromb Haemostas 55:173–177
Donahue RP, Abbott RD, Reed DM, Yano K (1986) Alcohol and hemorrhagic stroke. The Honolulu heart program. JAMA 255:2311–2314
Elmer O, Göransson G, Zoucas (1984) Impairment of primary hemostasis and platelet function after ethanol ingestion in man. Haemostasis 14:223–228
Fenn CG, Littleton JM (1982) Inhibition of platelet aggregation by ethanol in vitro shows specifity for aggregating agent used and is influenced by platelet lipid composition. Thromb Haemostas 48:49–53
Fenn CG, Littleton JM (1983) The human blood platelets as a model for studying interactions of ethanol with membrane lipids. Alcoholism Clin Exp Res 7:59–64
Fenn CG, Littleton JM (1984) Interaction between ethanol and dietary fat in determining human platelet function. Thromb Haemost 51:50–53
Fenn CG, Caberos LP, Littleton JM (1985) Effect of ethanol on thrombin-induced platelet phospholipid breakdown and release of (3H)-5-hydroxytryptamine. Alcohol 2:177–182
Friedman HS (1984) Cardiovascular effects of ethanol with particular reference to the heart. Alcohol 1:333–339
Gorelic PB (1987) Alcohol and stroke. Stroke 18:268–271
Hamberg M, Svensson J, Samuelsson B (1975) Thromboxanes: A new group of biologically active compounds derived from prostaglandin endoperoxides. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 72:2994–2998
Haut MJ, Cowan DH (1974) The effect of ethanol on hemostatic properties of human platelets. Am J Med 56:22–23
Hillbom M, Kaste M (1981) Does alcohol intoxication precipitate aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 44:523–526
Hillbom M, Kangasaho M, Löwbeer C, Kaste M, Muuronen A, Numminen H (1985) Effects of ethanol on platelet function. Alcohol 2:429–432
Hillbom M, Muuronen A, Löwbeer C, Änggård E, Beving H, Kangasaho M (1985) Platelet thromboxane formation and bleeding time is influenced by ethanol withdrawal but not by cigarette smoking. Thromb Haemost 53:419–422
Javors MA, Houston JP, Bowden CL (1985) EGTA-extractable calmodulin in platelet membrane is lower in alcoholics that in controls. Alcohol 2:433–436
Kangasaho M, Hillbom M, Kaste M, Vapaatalo H (1982) Effects of ethanol intoxication and hangover on plasma levels of thromboxane B2 and 6-keto prostaglandin F1α and thromboxane B2 formation by platelets in man. Thromb Haemost 48:232–234
Kontula K, Viinikka L, Ylikorkala O, Ylikahri R (1982) Effect of acute ethanol intake on thromboxane and prostacyclin in human. Life Sci 31:261–264
Kristensson-Aas A, Wallerstedt S, Alling C, Cederblad G, Magnusson B (1986) Haematological findings in chronic alcoholics after heavy drinking with special reference to haemolysis. Eur J Clin Invest 16:178–183
Levine RF, Spivak JL, Meagher RC, Sieber F (1986) Effect of ethanol on thrombopoesis. Br J Haematol 62:345–354
Lieber CS (1984) Alcohol-nutrition interaction: 1984 update. Alcohol 1:151–157
Mikhailidis DP, Jeremy JY, Barradas MA, Green N, Dandona P (1983) Effect of ethanol on vascular prostacyclin (prostaglandin I2) synthesis, platelet aggregation, and platelet thromboxane release. Br Med J 287:1495–1498
Mikhailidis DP, Jenkins WJ, Barradas MA, Jeremy JY, Dandona P (1986) Platelet function defects in chronic alcoholism. Br Med J 293:715–718
Neiman J, Hillbom M, Benthin G, Änggård E (1987) Urinary excretion of 2,3-dinor-6-keto prostaglandin F1α and platelet thromboxane formation during ethanol withdrawal in alcoholics. J Clin Pathol 40:512–515
Neiman J, Hillbom M, Jones AW, Benthin G, Löwbeer C, Sippel H (1987) Effects of a small dose of ethanol and calcium carbimide-induced acetaldehyde intoxication on human platelet aggregation, associated thromboxane formation and urinary excretion of 2,3-dinor-6-keto prostaglandin F1α. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 25:185–198
Neiman J, Curstedt T, Cronholm T (1987) Composition of platelet phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine after ethanol withdrawal. Thromb Res 46:295–301
Pennington SN, Smith CP, Jr (1979) The effect of ethanol on thromboxane synthesis by blood platelets. Prostagland Med 2:43–50
Pennington DG (1981) Formation of platelets. In: Gordon JL (ed) Platelets in biology and pathology, 2nd edn. Elsevier/North Holland Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, pp 19–41
Sahud MA (1972) Platelet size and number in alcoholic thrombocytopenia. N Engl J Med 286:355–356
Saniabadi AR, Lowe GDO, Barbenel JC, Forbes CD (1985) Further studies on the role of red blood cells in spontaneous platelet aggregation. Thromb Res 38:225–232
Sullivan LW (1971) Effect of ethanol on platelet production. In: Paulus LM (ed) Platelet kinetics. North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 247–252
Sun GY, Sun YA (1985) Ethanol and membrane lipids. Alcoholism Clin Exp Res 9:164–180
Taddeo U, Tani M, Vaccari MG (1983) Effects of alcohol on platelet aggregation “in vivo” and “in vitro”. Haematologica 68:119–123
Tanaka H, Ueda Y, Hayashi M, Data C, Baba T, Yamashita H, Shoji H, Tanaka Y, Owada K, Detels R (1982) Risk factors for cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction in Japanese rural community. Stroke 13:62–73
Toivanen J, Ylikorkala O, Viinikka L (1983) Ethanol inhibits platelet thromboxane A2 production but has no effect on lung prostacyclin synthesis in humans. Thromb Res 33:1–8
Välimäki M, Pelkonen R, Härkonen M, Ylikahri R (1984) Hormonal changes in non-cirrhotic alcoholics during ethanol withdrawal. Alcohol Alcoholism 19:235–242
Wickramasinghe SN, Gardner B, Barden G (1987) Circulating cytotoxic protein generated after ethanol consumption: Identification and mechanism of reaction with cells. Lancet 2:122–126
Zawilska KM, Born GVR, Begent NA (1982) Effect of ADP-utilizing enzymes on the arterial bleeding time in rats and rabbits. Br J Haematol 50:317–325
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Neiman, J. Effects of ethanol on platelet thromboxane formation after ethanol withdrawal in chronic alcoholics: An in vitro study. Res. Exp. Med. 188, 175–181 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01852318
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01852318