Alcohol-induced hormonal and metabolic alterations in plasma and erythrocytes—a gender-based study

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to understand the gender-specific alcohol-induced biochemical changes and TBARS association with the endocrine system.

Methods

Human male and female subjects ranging from 35 ± 10 years old with an 8-10-year drinking history were included in the study.

Results

The results demonstrated that testosterone levels were lower in male alcoholics and higher in female alcoholics, as well as higher estrogen and cortisol levels in both genders. In addition, we found lower T3, T4, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in alcoholics of both sexes. Furthermore, plasma TBARS, protein carbonyls, nitrite, and nitrate levels increased significantly with concomitant decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities in both male and female alcoholics. Furthermore, erythrocyte lysate nitrite and nitrate levels membrane total cholesterol, phospholipid and cholesterol/phospholipid (C/P) ratio with lower total membrane proteins in both genders of alcoholics. SDS-PAGE analysis of erythrocyte membrane proteins revealed increased density of band 3, protein 4.1, 4.2, 4.9 and glycophorins, whereas decreases in spectrin (α and β) were observed in both genders of alcoholics. Besides, alcoholics of both sexes had a lower ability to resist osmotic hemolysis. Plasma TBARS was negatively correlated with testosterone, TSH, T3 and T4 in male alcoholics, moreover, estradiol and cortisol were positively correlated in males and females respectively.

Conclusion

Female alcoholics may be more susceptible to osmotic hemolysis due to increased erythrocyte membrane lipid peroxidation with decreased antioxidant status, which results in an altered membrane C/P ratio and membrane protein composition.

Keywords:

• Alcohol
• erythrocyte membrane
• gender
• hemolysis
• oxidative stress

Acknowledgments

The authors thank DST-SERB and ICMR for providing financial assistance to Dr. V. Damodara Reddy and Dr. Althaf Hussain Shaik under the Ramanujan Fellowship (SB/S2/RJN-043/2014) and Researchers Supporting Program No. RSP2023R371 - King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Authors also thank REVA University for providing all necessary facilities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The authors thank SERB, India for providing financial assistance to Dr. V. Damodara Reddy under the Ramanujan Fellowship (SB/S2/RJN-043/2014) and Dr. Althaf Hussain Shaik under Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP2023R371), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.