Pharmacokinetics of Phosphatidylethanol 16:0/20:4 in Human Blood After Alcohol Intake.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to characterize the pharmacokinetics of the phosphatidylethanol (PEth) 160/204 homolog in uncoagulated human blood samples taken from 18 participants in a clinical laboratory setting after consumption of 2 standard doses of ethanol (EtOH). METHODS: Male and female participants received either 0.4 or 0.8 g/kg oral doses of EtOH during a 15-minute period. Blood samples were collected before and throughout 6 hours immediately after alcohol administration and then again at days 2, 4, 7, 11, and 14 of the follow-up period. PEth 160/204 levels were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection. RESULTS: (i) The increase in PEth 160/204 from baseline to maximum concentration was less than that of PEth 160/181 or PEth 160/182 homologs during the 6-hour period after EtOH administration; (ii) the mean half-life of PEth 160/204 was 2.1 ± 3 (SD) days, which was shorter than the mean half-life of either PEth 160/181 or PEth 160/182, 7.6 ± 3 (SD) or 6.8 ± 4 (SD) days, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The pharmacokinetics of PEth 160/204 in whole blood samples is detectable after alcohol consumption and differs in amount synthesized and rate of elimination versus PEth 160/181 and 160/182. Measuring the concentrations of these 3 homologs has the potential to provide more information about the amount and time frame of alcohol consumption than any one alone.