Interaction of biogenic amine hormones with acetaldehyde.

Dopamine (DA), epinephrine (EP), serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), and histamine (H) are each hormones derived from aromatic or basic amino acids. Each contains primary or secondary amines, and all, except H, contain hydroxyl groups. These functional groups are capable of reacting with acetaldehyde (AcH), the primary product of ethanol metabolism. In this study, it is shown that 5-min preincubations of the amines with AcH affect a reduction in the prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) which is caused by AcH. The data suggest that these hormones may form Schiff bases, hemiacetals, and acetals, thereby detoxifying the AcH. It is also suggested that physiological effects of these hormones may be lowered as a consequence of interaction with acetaldehyde in alcoholics. In the absence of AcH, 0.91 mM DA, 5-HT, and EP each exhibited a small statistically significant procoagulant effect on the aPTT assay with values of 30.8 +/- 0.3 s (P = 0.03), 28.5 +/- 1.0 s (P = 0.006), and 31.3 +/- 0.2 s (P = 0.001), respectively, relative to the controls of 32.6 +/- 0.6 s, 32.9 +/- 0.6 s, and 33.0 +/- 0.3 s. Values for 0.91 mM NE and 9.1 mM H were 33.5 +/- 0.8 s (P = 0.14) and 36.0 +/- 0.8 s (P = 0.14), respectively, relative to the controls (32.4 +/- 0.2 s and 34.2 +/- 0.4 s), and exerted a nonsignificant effect upon aPTT.