Alcohol Flashcards
What is Beer made up of
Barley
What is Wine made up of
Grapes
What is Rum made up of
Black/Brown Sugar (Molasse)
What is Gin made up of
Potato
What is Tequila made up of
Weber Blue Agave Plant
What is Brandy made up of
Fruits and Vegetables
What is Scotch made up of
Barley
What is Vodka made up of
Potatoes
Where is EtOH mostly absorbed
Ethanol is abosrbed in the small intestine
How does pH effect absorption of EtOH
Low pH does not alter ethanol
After one drink who has a higher BAC? Males or Females? Why?
Females have a higher blood alcohol concentration as they are usually smaller than men and are less lean
How does food affect alcohol absorption?
Full stomach slows down GI
Thus, Alcohol rate of absorption is slower and peak BAC is lowered
Which people have lower BAC? Why?
Leaner people as they have a greater water volume within body volume
Larger people as they a greater body volume
How does size impact alcohol distribution to the brain
Smaller size allows alcohol passage into the brain as there is less circulation around the smaller body
Once consumed where is alcohol distributed? What is the alcohol concentration in the blood?
Alcohol is distributed throughout the tissues
Very little alcohol is left in the blood as it has been distributed throughout the tissue
What are the acute effects of EtOH consumption on the brain
Inhibits decision making
Unstable mood
Decreased anxiety
Increased aggression and addiction]
Easier to fall asleep
Low quality sleep
Less deep sleep
Less REM sleep
Impaired memory
Impaired balance
Vision impeded
Inhibiton of taste and smell
Reduced perception of pain
What are the acute effects of EtOH consumption on circulatory system
Dilated blood vessels of skin
Reduced blood clotting
Increased HDL levels (Good cholesterol)
What are the acute effects of EtOH consumption on gastrointestinal
Increased salivation and appetite
Increased gastric HCL secretion
More sensitive to insulin in non-diabetics
What are the acute effects of EtOH consumption on endocrine and reproductive
Inhibits anti diuretic hormone causing increased urination
Inconsistient effect on reproductive system
What order of kinetic describes metabolism of EtOH
Zero order, linear elimination: Constant level eliminated per hour
How much BAC is eliminated per hour
0.015 BAC elimination per hour
What amount of alcohol is exhaled? How is this detected?
1/2200th of BAC
Detected using breathlyzer test
Acute effects of EtOH is what kind of phase? What causes these phases
Biphasic (2 Phase)
Caused by metabolism
What are the phases after Alcohol consumption (Effects on different younger age groups)
- BAC rises (Stimulant): Feels good phase
Increased sociability, decreased anxiety especially in adolescent animals - BAC declines (Depressant)
How does alcohol affect perceptions.
Distributed to the brain where it interacts with brain receptors
Reduced
What brain receptors does EtOH modulate? What effect does this have?
EtOH mudulates glutamate and GABA receptor activity
Tilts balance of neuronal activation towards hyperpolarization causing inhibition
Harder for neurons to fire thus, reduced activity
What effect does a lower EtOH concentration have
Strong potentiation of GABA type A receptors
Excites inhibitory receptors
What effect does a higher EtOH concentration have
Inhibition of Glu-NMDA receptors and voltage gated Ca2+ channels
Inhibiton of stimulant receptors
What is the overall effect of EtOH on receptors
Reduced electrical activity
Neuronal inhibition and Sedative effects
How does alcohol cause asphyxiation. At what dose does this happen
Depressed activity in autonomic centres
Brain stem shuts off –> Suppress diaphragm –> Asphyxiation
0.4-0.5 BAC
What are GABA type A receptors (Superfamily, Structure)? What do they do?
Cys-loop ligand-gated channel superfamily
Heteropentameric receptors
Conduct negative chloride current into neurons
Hyperpolarize cells
What are NMDA receptors (Superfamily, Structure)? What do they do?
Ionotropic Glu receptor superfamily
Heterotetrameric receptors
Conduct positive currents into the neuron
Depolarize cells
What happens if you inhibit NMDA receptors? Effect on cells
Takes away the neuron’s ability to fire
Why is alcohol addictive?
Because it releases dopamine in the brain
When id the dopamine reward path active?
There is some level present at all times
Output is increased in the presence of ethanol
Describe the dopamine reward path when ethanol is present
GABA interneurons regulate set a threshold on dopaminergic neurons
Ethanol is introduced
Reduces GLU input of GABA interneurons (GABA neurons are
now less stimulated)
Increases Inhibitory input to GABA interneurons (GABA neurons
are now less stimulated)
Decreased release of GABA
Less inhibition of dopaminergic cells thus, less control
More rate of fire –> Greater dopamine levels
Physiological effects of EtOH (Circulatory), what regulates this
Vasodilation increases blood flow to skin, gives a warm sensation
However, decreases core temperature in the long term
Autonomic brainstem nuclei
Physiological effects of EtOH (Gastral)
Increased gastric secretion of HCL –> Loss of stomach mucosal lining
Stomach ulcers
What causes the spin side effect of EtOH. What BAC does this occur
EtOH permeates inner ear (endolymph and cupula)
BAC starts to decrease
EtOH diffuses out of cupula first
EtOH is very light, thus cupula is now more dense than endolymph
When you lie down cupula is going to pull down and trigger hair cells
Sensory fibres are activated
Brain interprets activity as motion
0.04 BAC
How does alcohol tolerance occur
Behavioural and/or Cellular levels
Metabolic tolerance, the more you drink –> upregulation of enzymes
What are the issues of ethanol (Nutritional)
EtOH contains a lot of calories with little to no nutritional value
50% of caloric intake in heavy drinkers
Contains complex carbohydrates (Beer especially)
Very easy to put on weight
What are the issues of ethanol (Metabolic)
Metabolic changes in energy usage
Brain metabolizes acetate instead of glucose
What kind of disease is fetal alcohol disease? What does that mean?
Spectrum disease, effects either a little or a lot
What stage of development is most vulnerable to fetal alcohol disease?
What are the effects?
Most vulnerable during 3rd trimester
Synaptogenesis
Facial development
What are the effects of ethanol on the liver (Heavy intake, and continuation of heavy intake)
Heavy intake causes ethanol to replace fatty acids as a fuel source in the liver
Shut down of lipid metabolizing pathways, fat build up in liver –> Fatty Liver
Continuation of Heavy Intake: Immune system gets involved
Liver becomes a hub for inflammation
Hepatitis: Inflammation of liver
Cirrhosis: Breakdown of liver
Heptatitis –> Cirrhosis
How does ethanol affect brain health and appearance
The metabolite of ethanol called acetaldehyde is reactive
Acetaldehyde modifies proteins and causes dysfunction (Neurons get stressed out and kill themselves)
Affects glucose metabolism
Affects protein synthesis
Affects Myelin formation
Damages neurons and causes cell death
Neurons die and brain shrinks in size
How does ethanol effect GI tract (Cancer risk)
Microflora in upper GI tract will metabolize EtOH into acetaldehyde
Acetaldehyde concentration reaches 10-100x than that in the blood
Poor hygiene (Increases microbe count) and smoking increases acetaldehyde production
Acetaldehyde interferes with DNA synthesis and repair
Leads to mutations
Causes cancer
