Serum and Muscle Levels of α‐Tocopherol, Ascorbic Acid, and Retinol Are Normal in Chronic Alcoholic Myopathy

Abstract

Some authors have suggested a possible loss of antioxidant factors in alcoholic skeletal myopathy. To assess the relationship between ethanol consumption and serum and muscle levels of alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and retinol in chronic alcoholics with and without skeletal myopathy, a prospective cross-sectional study was performed in the Alcohol Unit of a 1000-bed university hospital. Twenty-five chronic male alcoholic patients (10 with skeletal myopathy) and 15 male controls of similar age were included. Evaluation of daily and lifetime ethanol consumption, assessment of anthropometric and protein nutritional parameters, and open biopsy of the left deltoid muscle were performed, as well as determinations of serum and muscle levels of retinol, alpha-tocopherol, and ascorbic acid by HPLC analysis. Ten of the 25 chronic alcoholic patients presented histological criteria of skeletal myopathy. Four alcoholics presented caloric malnutrition and three protein malnutrition. All of the muscle biopsies of the control group were entirely normal, as were their nutritional studies. The serum and muscular levels of alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and retinol were normal and were similar in both alcoholics and controls. Except for serum retinol, these values were also similar in alcoholic patients with or without skeletal myopathy. In the univariate analysis, we identified the total lifetime dose of ethanol (p < 0.003), the muscle arm area (p < 0.05), and serum levels of prealbumin (p < 0.03) and retinol-binding protein (p < 0.05) as factors influencing the development of alcoholic myopathy. However, in multivariate analysis, the total lifetime dose of ethanol was the only independent factor in relation to alcoholic myopathy (p < 0.003). Serum and muscle levels of the antioxidants alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and retinol do not influence the presence of skeletal myopathy in chronic alcoholic patients.

Nutritional deficiencies in German middle-class male alcohol consumers: relation to dietary intake and severity of liver disease

“…In accordance with some earlier studies, significantly lower concentrations of a-tocopherol and gtocopherol were observed in alcohol consumers (Addolorato, 1998;Bjorneboe et al, 1988;Mills et al, 1983). However, in other studies unchanged (Bode et al, 1988;Fernandez-Sola et al, 1998;Rissanen et al, 1987), and even increased (Simonetti et al, 1995) plasma concentrations of tocopherol were found in alcohol imbibers.…”

“…In the latter case the results are also likely to depend on the selection of criteria such as clinical or laboratory signs of overt malnutrition or reduced blood content of micronutrients. Finally, the ethnic background and differences in the type of dietary habits may, at least partially, play a role in the discordant results on the nutrient intake and=or nutritional status of alcohol consumers in different countries (Addolorato et al, 2000;Fernandez-Sola et al, 1998;Gloria et al, 1997;Mezey, 1991;Rissanen et al, 1987;Sarin et al, 1997).…”

Oxidants antioxidants and alcohol implications for skeletal and cardiac muscle

“…Despite a daily treatment regimen of alpha-tocopherol supplementation (30 mg/kg per day for 5 days), the acute dose of ethanol still reduces skeletal muscle protein synthesis (33). More recently, studies have shown that in Spanish alcohol misusers with myopathy, both serum and muscle levels of alpha-tocopherol did not influence the presence of skeletal muscle myopathy in chronic alcoholic patients (34). These observations contrast with a UK study, which showed reduced serum alpha-tocopherol and selenium in myopathic alcoholics, which may reflect geographical differences in antioxidant intake (8,34).…”

Skeletal muscle involvement in patients with chronic alcoholic intoxication

“…Патогенез ХАМ до конца не изучен. Установлено, что развитие ХАМ не зависит от наличия алкогольной полинейропатии, алко-гольного поражения печени, полидефицитарных состоя-ний, гормональных нарушений и напрямую не связано с процессами апоптоза [2,7]. В то же время ХАМ может со-четаться с другими признаками алкогольной болезни [8,9].…”