Alcohol Metabolism Flashcards
What organ metabolises alcohol?
Liver
How is alcohol metabolised?
Alcohol -(alcohol dehydrogenase)-> acetaldehyde
Acetaldehyde -(aldehyde dehydrogenase)-> acetate
What can metabolise alcohol in the brain?
Catalase
What is the recommended alcohol intake?
14 units
How much alcohol is in 1 unit?
8g
What happens when acetaldehyde accumulates?
Hangover symptoms
Long term - liver damage
What happens to acetate?
Conjuated to coenzyme A to form acetyl-CoA
What happens in chronic alcohol consumption?
Decrease in NAD+/NAH ratio
Increase in acetyl-CoA
What happens with a decrease in the NAD+/NADH ratio?
Inadequate NAD+ for conversion of lactate to pyruvate - lactate accumulates
Inadequate NAD+ for glycerol metabolism - deficit in gluconeogenesis = hypoglycaemia
What happens with an increase of acetyl-CoA?
Increased synthess of fatty acids and ketone bodies = fatty liver
What is used for the treatment of alcohol dependence?
Disulfiram
What is the mechanism of disulfiram?
Inhibits aldehyde dehydrogenase
