PMID: 9438526Jan 23, 1998Paper

Alcoholism and carcinoma change the intracellular pH and activate platelet Na+/H+-exchange in men

Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
C D SpiesW Schaffartzik

Abstract

The occurrence of carcinoma in chronic alcoholics exceeds that of the general population. Cytoplasmic alkalinization, due to the influence of different factors on the transmembrane Na+/H+ exchange (NHE), has been put forward as a triggering event in cell growth and division. In accordance with these findings, the carcinogenic potential of NHE deficient cell types is reported to be diminished. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the intracellular pH and the NHE activity is altered in chronic alcoholics. Seventy-two Caucasian males were assigned to one of four groups: non-alcoholics without carcinoma, chronic alcoholics without carcinoma, non-alcoholics with carcinoma and chronic alcoholics with carcinoma. Alcoholism was diagnosed according to DSM-III-R. The groups did not differ in relation to basic patient characteristics, such as age and blood pressure. Intracellular calcium, pH and NHE in platelets were determined by spectrofluorometry before and after thrombin stimulation. In chronic alcoholics with carcinoma, the intracellular pH was significantly more alkaline and the NHE activity was elevated. In contrast, a decrease in intracellular pH associated with an increased activity of NHE and a more acidic set point ...Continue Reading

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