Arginine challenge unravels persistent disturbances of urea cycle and gluconeogenesis in abstinent alcoholics.

AIMS: Data on recovery from hormonal and metabolic sequelae of alcoholism in strictly controlled alcohol abstinence are mainly restricted to short-term abstention. Our previous findings of persistently decreased plasma and urinary urea concentrations in long-term abstinent alcoholics prompted us to further elucidate this unexplained phenomenon.

METHODS

The response of circulating urea cycle metabolites and glucose-regulating hormones to an intravenous load (30 g) of arginine hydrochloride was investigated in abstinent male alcoholics (n = 14) after complete recovery of all routine liver parameters and compared with that in healthy male controls (n = 15).

RESULTS

The arginine challenge provoked (i) higher peak concentrations of arginine and increased arginine/ornithine and ornithine/citrulline ratios in the plasma of abstinent alcoholics; (ii) augmented plasma glutamine concentrations in alcoholics in the presence of comparable levels in both experimental groups of plasma glutamate, ammonia, and nitrate/nitrite; (iii) parallel increases in plasma urea concentrations over the respective baseline levels but distinctly higher urinary urea excretion in controls; (iv) a blunted blood glucose response to arginine in alcoholics together with a reduced insulin and glucagon surge; and (v) an elevated growth hormone peak as compared with controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Application of an intravenous arginine challenge reveals profound and lasting metabolic and hormonal disturbances in abstinent alcoholics, affecting urea cycle and gluconeogenesis. The common denominator of many of these changes may be an acquired irreversible deficiency in cellular energy regulation.