A Comparative Blinded Study in Miniature Swine of Whole Blood-, Hemoglobin-, Platelet-, Plasma-, and Lymphocyte-Associated Acetaldehyde as Markers for Ethanol Intake

Blood samples were obtained from miniature swine maintained on 0, 2, or 6 g/kg/24 hr ethanol for 8 months (N= 6 in each group). Samples from drinking pigs were taken after 8 hr of ethanol abstinence and all were coded and sent for “blinded” analysis. A fluorigenic high performance liquid chromatographic assay was used to quantify whole blood-associated acetaldehyde, hemoglobin-associated acetaldehyde, plasma-associated acetaldehyde, platelet-associated acetaldehyde, and lymphocyte-associated acetaldehyde. Detectable levels of acetaldehyde were found in each sample in both drinking and nondrinking pigs. Analysis of whole blood-associated acetaldehyde was most discriminatory in distinguishing nondrinking from drinking pigs (mean 21.4 ± 1.0 μM for nondrinkers vs. 24.6 ± 1.5 so for the group consuming 2 g/kg ethanol, p= 0.001). Measurements of hemoglobin-associated acetaldehyde normalized to protein concentration (250 ± 47 nmoles/g vs. 203 ± 33 SD, p < 0.05 drinking vs. nondrinking pigs) and platelet-associated acetaldehyde (0.46 0.34 vs. 0.15 ± 0.16 nmoles/3 × 10° platelets, p= 0.05 drinking vs. nondrinking pigs) were also useful in discriminating drinking from nondrinking animals. Analysis of plasma-associated acetaldehyde and lymphocyte-associated acetaldehyde were not useful as markers of ethanol consumption. The miniature swine proved to be a useful model for the evaluation of these potential markers of ethanol intake. In this model, increased amounts of acetaldehyde can be found in several blood compartments eight hr after cessation of ethanol. Further work is warranted to define the relative kinetics of each measurement and the potential utility of each as a marker for ethanol consumption in man.