Serum zinc and serum copper and indices of drug metabolism in alcoholics.

Serum zinc and copper levels were studied in relation to in vitro and in vivo drug metabolism in 25 alcoholics, in whom various diseases of the liver had been diagnosed by histology. Serum zinc was elevated in alcoholics with normal or fatty liver and was low in those with alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis. There was a significant positive correlation between serum zinc and cytochrome P-450 content of liver biopsies. The relationship between zinc and antipyrine half-life was significant and non-linear. Serum copper level was elevated in all the alcoholics and no significant relationship could be found between copper and drug metabolism in alcoholics. The findings suggest parallelism between changes in serum zinc and indices of drug metabolism in alcoholics.