1991 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Involvement of beta-carbolines in the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal
| Project/Area Number |
02807066
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Legal medicine
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| Research Institution | Kobe University |
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Principal Investigator |
ADACHI Junko Kobe University School of Medicine assistant, 医学部, 助手 (40030887)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
NAITO Takeaki Kobe Women's College of Pharmacy professor, 薬学部, 教授 (00068339)
FUJIWARA Satoshi Kobe University School of Medicine associate professor, 医学部, 助教授 (20173487)
TATSUNO Yoshitsugu Kobe University School of Medicine professor, 医学部, 教授 (80030831)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1990 – 1991
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| Keywords | beta-carboline / alcoholism / alcoholic beverage / alcohol drinking / alcohol / acetaldehyde |
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| Research Abstract |
Tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid, a condensation reaction product of acetaldehyde, a metabolite of alcohol, with tryptophan can be considered a probable precursor of the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, beta-carboline-3-carboxylate. beta-Carboline (norharman) and 1-methyl-beta-carboline (harman) have been prepared by the reaction of trytophan with some aldehydes under an oxidative condition. It is well known that these beta-carbolines inhabit monoamine oxidase and benzodiazepine receptor binding.
In the present study, a purification procedure, involving a chemically-bonded material followed by HPLC combined with fluorometric detection, was used for the quantitative determination of tetraphydro-beta-carbolines. An HPLC and mass spectrometry method was also developed for their identification. Norharman and harman in various alcoholic beverages could be detected, although the contents were very small. Moderate amounts of tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid were found in brewed alcoholic bevarage, however, distillled spilits contained low concentration.
Next, Urinary excretions of tetrahydro-beta-carbolines were measured in man after administration of ethanol (0.4g/kg). Blood ethanol and acetaldehyde levels were determined by gas chromatography. Ethanol intake caused increased excretion of tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid, though there was no significant correlation between blood acetaldehyde and urinary excretion of tetrahydro-beta-carbolines.
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