Decreased systemic formation of prostaglandin E and prostacyclin, and unchanged thromboxane formation, in alcoholics during withdrawal as estimated from metabolites in urine.

1. The rates of secretion into the circulation of prostaglandin E, prostacyclin, and thromboxane A 2 were estimated in male alcoholics on the third day of withdrawal and in control subjects by measuring appropriate metabolites in urine. 2. Urinary levels of tetranor-5,11-diketo-7α-hydroxyprostane-1,16-dioic acid (the major urinary metabolite of prostaglandins E 1 and E 2 ), of 2,3-dinor-6-ketoprostaglandin F 1α (the major urinary metabolite of prostacyclin) and of 6-keto-prostaglandin F 1α (the stable hydrolysis product of prostacyclin) were significantly different from the normal subjects in the alcoholic group. In contrast, 2,3-dinor-thromboxane B 2 (the major urinary metabolite of thromboxane A 2 ) and thromboxane B 2 (the stable hydrolysis product of thromboxane A 2 ) were not significantly different between the groups. 3. These data suggest that the ratio of the vasodilator prostanoids prostaglandin E and prostacyclin and the vasoconstrictor prostanoid thromboxane A 2 is lower than in normal subjects, in alcoholics during withdrawal. This may be one causal factor for the higher incidence of hypertension observed in withdrawing alcoholics compared with control subjects.