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Fundamental Neuroscience > Alcohol > Flashcards

Alcohol Flashcards

1
Q

Which of these is used in beverages and which of these is found in formic acid:

a. Ethyl alcohol
b. Methyl alcohol

A

Ethyl alcohol found in beverages

Methyl alcohol found in formic acid

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2
Q

How is ethanol produced? (2 marks)

A
  • Fermentation of sugars by yeasts.
  • Fermentation causes yeast to die, distillation then increases alcohol concentration (can make spirits)
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3
Q

Due to alcohol being so calorific what organ in particular can it cause a lot of muslce degeneration of? (1 mark)

A
  • Brain
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4
Q

What value of blood alcohol concentration is seen to cause a measurable behavioural effect?

A

0.02%

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5
Q

How does ingesting food before you drink slow the absorption of alcohol? (2 marks)

A
  • Pyloric sphincter delays movement to small instestine which regulates the movement of material from stomach to intestine
  • This delayed movement allows dehydrogenase to break down the alcohol
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6
Q

Why are women more prone to being more intoxicated than men even if they drink the same amount?

(1 mark)

A
  • Men contian 60% more active alcohol dehydrogenase so they are able to break down alcohol faster
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7
Q

What does alcohol dehydrogenase convert alcohol to and where does this reaction take place?

(2 marks)

A
  • In liver
  • Converts it inot acetaldehyde and then this is converted by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) to acetate
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8
Q

What does a build in acetaldehyde dehydrogenase cause?

(1 mark)

A
  • Flushing, nausea and vomitting
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9
Q

Enzymes from what family convert alcohol inot acetaldehyde?

(1 mark)

A

Cytochrome P450

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10
Q

How is ‘induction’ the basis for metabolic tolerance?

(2 marks)

A
  • Alcohol consumed regularly - enzymes increase
    • Get increase in rate of metabolism of alcohol
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11
Q

What the four different mehcanisms of tolerance? (8 marks)

A
  1. Acute tolerance: occurs on single exposure to alcohol - feel less intoxicated on declining limb of alcohol curve
  2. Metabolic tolerance: increase in P450 in liver microsomal enzymes that metabolise the alcohol. Quicker metabolism, blood levels of drug = reduced, so diminshed effects
  3. Pharmodynamic tolerance: neurons adapt to continued presence of alcohola and make compensatory changes in cell function (receptors exposed to alcohol will continually adapt)
  4. Behavioural tolerance: practising behaviours while under influence of alcohol allows adjustment and compensation
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12
Q

What are some of the symptoms of physical dependence after prolonged use of alcohol? (3 marks)

A
  • May be due to residual acetaldehyde in the body
  • Gastric irritation, rebound drop in blood sufar, excess fluid loss
  • some alcoholics experience delirium - can include convulsions, hallucinations, disorientation, panic attacks and unstable blood pressure
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13
Q

What are some of the effects of alcohol at 0.15% and 0.35% blood alcohol concetration? (2 marks)

A
  • 0.15% - start to vomit
  • 0.35% - unconcious - can be seen as a mechanism of prevention to stop drinking
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14
Q

What sort of brain damaged is experienced from chronic drinking?

(5 marks)

A
  • Deficiency for thiamine (Vitamin B1) - which is critical for brain glucose metabolism - causes cell death and Wernicke encepalopathy
  • Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome: slective degeneration of diencephalon - causes confusion, disorientation
  • Korsakoff syndrom: potenitally irreversible memory loss - anterograde amnesia
  • Enlarged ventricles of the brain and extensive shrinkage of brain tissue
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15
Q

What sort of treatment can help stop degeneration (but not be able to reverse it)?

(1 mark)

A

Thiamine treatment

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16
Q

How can low to moderate daily dose of alcohol reduce the risk of heart disease?

(1 mark)

A
  • Increases amount of good cholesterol in blood while reducing the bad
17
Q

What happens in a fatty liver after chronic use of alcohol?

(3 marks)

A
  • Causes inflammation in tissue along with increased breakdown of fats into fatty acids
  • Changes in adipose tissue release fatty acid into the blood
  • Contributes to increased deposit of triglycerides
18
Q

What is alcohol hepatitis? (2 marks)

A
  • Liver cell damage caused by accumulation of high levels of acetaldehyde
  • Causes inflammation of liver, fever, jaundice and pain
19
Q

What is alcoholic cirrhosis? (1 mark)

A
  • Death of liver cells stimulates scar formation and blood vesses carrying O2 are cut off
20
Q

What is foetal alcohol syndrome? (2 marks)

A
  • Pre-natal alcohol exposure - (alcohol passes through placental barrier)
  • Can cause withdrawal syndrome in foetus
21
Q

What are some of the symptoms of foetal alcohol syndrome?

(4 marks)

A
  1. Mental retardation
  2. Low birthweight
  3. Neurological problems
  4. Distinctive cranial malformations
22
Q

What are some of the non-specific affect of alcohol in the neuronal membrane?

(3 marks)

A
  • Alters lipid composition
  • Interacts with polar heads of phospholipid
  • Disturbs relationship in protein membrane
23
Q

What are some of the specific affects of alcohol in the neuronal membrane?

(3 marks)

A
  • Acts at neurotransmitter binding site
  • Modifies gating mechanism inside channel
  • Stimulates G proteins linked to adenyl cyclase
24
Q

How does alcohol affect glutamate function?

(3 marks)

A
  • Effect NMDA receptor function so affects learning and memory - as glutamate release is reduced into hippocampus
  • W/drawal symptoms of less glutamate in CNS: seizures and hyperexcitability
  • Excessive Ca2+ influx - contributes to cell death
25
Q

How does alcohol affect GABA function?

(5 marks)

A
  • Binds to GABAA receptors opens channels and allows Cl- to enter cell and hyperpolarise membrane therfore increasing Cl- and stimulating GABA release
  • Some of these receptors located extrasynaptically respond to more persistent action of GABA that remains in extracellular space to produce tonic inhibition
  • Repeated exposure to ethanol reduces GABAA mediated Cl- flux
26
Q

How does alcohol affect dopamine?

(3 marks)

A
  • May increase mesolimbic firing indirectly secondary to its modulation of other NT in VTA e.g. those produced by GABA etc.
  • Reinforcement
  • Can have negative affect in terms of withdrawal
27
Q

How are opioids affected by alcohol?

(3 marks)

A
  • Acute administration of alcohol increase endogenous opioid production and release endorphins and enkephalins
  • Chronic administration reduces production
  • However - has been shown in animals that an antagonist for opioid reduces alcohol consumption
28
Q

What is the difference between Type I and Type II alcoholics?

(2 marks)

A

Type I: (normally female)

  • Generally begin drinking in later life and experience guilt and fear about their alcoholism

Type II: (normally male)

  • Display thrill-seeking, antisocial and criminal activities; greater genetic vulnerability and start drinking at an early age
29
Q

How does detoxification by benzodiapines/ diazepines work to prevent alcohol withdrawal?

(2 marks)

A
  1. Makes drinking unpleasant as dilsulfrin inhbits ALDH
  2. Reduce alcohol’s reinforcing qualities e.g. Naltrexone and Acamprosate

Fundamental Neuroscience (19 decks)

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