Effects of disulfiram on serum Dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase and blood carbon disulphide concentrations in alcoholics

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of single and repeated disulfiram doses on serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity and blood carbon disulphide concentrations in a group of abstinent alcoholics. The increase in the blood concentration of carbon disulphide was dose dependent after the oral administration of 100-400 mg of disulfiram. Free carbon disulphide peaked at 12 h while the protein-bound fraction increased at least up to 24 h. Both single (100-400 mg p.o.) and repeated (200 mg daily p.o. for ca. 1 month) administrations failed to inhibit the activity of serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase. The repeated daily administration of 200 mg of disulfiram also had no influence on copper-activated serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, which was the same before and after 1-month treatment period. Contrary to the disulfiram group, the activity of the copper-activated enzyme in the serum of abstinent alcoholics declined significantly during the same 30 days.