Key result
Long-term disulfiram treatment in alcoholics was associated with an approximately 20% reduction in plasma extracellular superoxide dismutase compared with non-treated alcoholics and healthy controls.
Why the study?
Does long-term treatment with disulfiram reduce plasma extracellular superoxide dismutase and erythrocyte Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase levels in alcoholics?
Observational (n=42)
Does long-term treatment with disulfiram reduce plasma extracellular superoxide dismutase and erythrocyte Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase levels in alcoholics?
Long-term disulfiram treatment in alcoholics moderately reduces plasma extracellular superoxide dismutase without affecting erythrocyte Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase.
This cross-sectional association should not alter disulfiram prescribing; prospective studies needed to assess causality and cardiovascular relevance.
Disulfiram has long been used in the treatment of chronic alcoholism. It is in vivo partially reduced to diethyldithiocarbamate, which is an efficient inhibitor of Cu,Zn-containing superoxide dismutase both in vitro and in vivo. The recently described extracellular superoxide dismutase is even more sensitive to diethyldithiocarbamate than Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase. To test for the possibility that long term treatment with disulfiram leads to inhibiton of the superoxide dismutases, plasma extracellular superoxide dismutase and erythrocyte Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase were determined in 12 disulfiram-treated alcoholics, and compared with 11 non-treated alcoholics and 19 healthy controls. Plasma extracellular superoxide dismutase was moderately reduced (about 20%) in the disulfiram-treated alcoholics as compared with the non-treated alcoholics and the healthy controls. No effect of disulfiram treatment on erythrocyte Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase activity was demonstrated.
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Öhman et al. (1986) conducted an observational in Chronic alcoholism (n=42). Disulfiram vs. Non-treated alcoholics and healthy controls was evaluated on Plasma extracellular superoxide dismutase and erythrocyte Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase levels. Long-term disulfiram treatment in alcoholics was associated with an approximately 20% reduction in plasma extracellular superoxide dismutase compared with non-treated alcoholics and healthy controls.
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