Sex-Dependent Decrease of Sphingomyelinase Activity During Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment

Abstract

Background: In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the role of the acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) in pathophysiological processes and alterations in response to ethanol exposure. Cellular and plasmatic ASM activities are increased in male alcohol dependent patients and decrease during physical withdrawal. Methods: Here, we analyzed the time course of ASM in male and also female acutely intoxicated patients during alcohol withdrawal and compared the activity levels to those under long-term maintenance treatment. Craving and further psychometric parameters were assessed by questionnaires. Results: The gradual decrease of serum ASM was confirmed in males (pConclusion: These data support the potential of ASM as a biomarker for the course of withdrawal therapy in males and provide the first associations of this enzyme with psychological variables such as craving and depression.

Keywords

• Craving
• Depression
• Gender
• Psychometrics
• Withdrawal
• Acid sphingomyelinase
• Alcohol dependence