RECOVERY OF MUSCULAR ENERGY STATUS IN CHRONIC-ALCOHOLICS AFTER 2 WEEKS OF ABSTINENCE

Repeated and excessive consumption of alcohol leads to pathophysiologi cal disorders in skeletal muscles. A successful management of this syn drome requires a strict abstinence and a nutritionally adequate diet. We propose here a simple and noninvasive investigation using P-31 magn etic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to monitor the recovery of the basal energy status of eminence thenar muscles from documented chronic alco holic patients during a controlled 15-day period of abstinence. Cessat ion of alcohol abuse induced a significant recovery of the PCr/(PCr P-i) ratio otherwise depressed before the abstinence. On the contrary, the relative level of free inorganic phosphate decreased, whereas int racellular pH was not affected. These results demonstrate (a) the rapi d improvement of basal muscular energy metabolism during abstinence fo r patients with a chronic and heavy alcohol consumption, and (b) the f easibility of a follow-up of this recovery by serial examinations usin g P-31 MRS.