Alcohol Metabolism

Question 1

ALT

Answer 1

alanine aminotransferase

Question 2

alanine aminotransferase

Answer 2

converts alanine to pyruvate

Question 3

AST

Answer 3

aspartate aminotransferase

Question 4

Asparate aminotransferase

Answer 4

if high levels are found means liver damage

Question 5

moderate alcohol consumption

Answer 5

1 drink/day for women

1-2 drinks/day for men

Question 6

Beneficial factors to moderate alcohol consumption

Answer 6

Increased HDL cholesterol

decreased LDL cholesterol oxidation, blood clotting, platelet aggregation, homocysteine, cell aggregation

Question 7

Detrimental factors from excessive alcohol consumption

Answer 7

Increased acetaldehyde, oxidative stress, triglycerides, cell aggregation, active species
Decreased HDL cholesterol

Question 8

Standard drink sizes

Answer 8

12 oz beer, 8 oz Malt liquor, 5 oz wine, 1.5 oz liquor

Question 9

Excessive alcohol includes:

Answer 9

1. Binge drinking - women 4+ drinks, men 5+ drinks consumed at one occasion
2. Heavy Drinking - W 8+ drinks/week, men 15+ drinks/week

Question 10

How is ethanol metabolized?

Answer 10

Mainly by Alcohol Dehydrogenase (ADH) enzymes in the cytosol of the liver

Question 11

what is the product of alcohol metabolism?

Answer 11

toxic acetaldehyde

Question 12

ALDH

Answer 12

Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase

Question 13

acetaldehyde dehydrogenase

Answer 13

an enzyme in the liver that converts acetaldehyde to acetic acid in alcohol metabolism

Question 14

ALDH converts what, where, into what

Answer 14

Converts toxic acetaldehyde in the mitochondria to non-toxic acetate, which can be used by the muscle and other tissues as fuel

Question 15

What can non-toxic acetate be converted into?

Answer 15

acetyl CoA

Question 16

MEOS system full name and contribution

Answer 16

a.k.a. microsomal ethanol oxidizing system. part of the cytochrome P450 system of enzymes

Question 17

MEOS system enzymes are embedded where and are what?

Answer 17

in the membrane of the ER and are inducible

Question 18

The MEOS system is used when there are high or low levels of alcohol consumed?

Answer 18

High, free radicles are generated and it can interfere with drug metabolism

Question 19

MEOS are what kind of enzymes

Answer 19

CYP (cytochrome P450)

Question 20

What occurs due to binge drinking?

Answer 20

fat deposits will begin to develop

Question 21

most drugs will cause what when taken during alcohol consumption

Answer 21

metabolism inhibition (ethanol induced)

Question 22

if one takes 3x the suggested dose of Tylenol during alcohol consumption what will occur?

Answer 22

ethanol induced, acceleration of metabolism

Question 23

Drinking excess amounts of alcohol involves what systems?

Answer 23

ADH and MEOS

Question 24

oxidation of alcohol in liver cells causes what?

Answer 24

NADH/NAD+ ratio to rise

Question 25

alcohol increases ...

Answer 25

lipolysis

Question 26

Lipolysis

Answer 26

breakdown of fat

Question 27

__ ___ _____ is inhibited by the NADH in the liver causing what?

Answer 27

fatty acid oxidation, fat build up in the liver

Question 28

excessive drinking causes an individual to produce more ...

Answer 28

MEOS enzymes (increased gene expression)

Question 29

alcohol effects on the frontal lobe 1

Answer 29

impairment of judgement

Question 30

alcohol effects in the midbrain 2

Answer 30

speech and vision centres are impaired

Question 31

alcohol effects in the cerebellum 3

Answer 31

hand-eye coordination and voluntary muscle function is impaired

Question 32

alcohol effects in the medulla oblongata

Answer 32

heart and respiration affected, may pass out

Question 33

alcohol induced hepatitis

Answer 33

when hepatocytes (liver cells) are damaged the transaminases (ALT + AST) are released into the bloodstream and are evidence of impaired liver function

Question 34

in alcohol induced hepatitis how will ammonia and albumin levels be altered

Answer 34

ammonia will be elevated | albumin will be lowered

Question 35

alcoholic hepatitis and fatty liver (steatosis) are

Answer 35

first steps in liver damage and are reversible

Question 36

progression of liver damage will lead to ...

Answer 36

fibrosis and ending in cirrhosis, non-reversible

Question 37

responsibility of the liver

Answer 37

production of blood proteins (albumin), mineral-transporting proteins (transferrin), and proteins responsible for blood coagulation

Question 38

acetaminophen

Answer 38

- normally tylenol is made more water soluble by other processes other than cytochrome P450 - this is good b/c that is made by cytochrome P450 pathway is toxic - endogenous systems to detoxify small amounts generated

Question 39

Bringing alcohol into acetaminophen pathway

Answer 39

- upregulating cytochrome P450 - leads to liver damage - ethanol present you make more enzymes= more shuttled through minor pathway

Question 40

When can fat deposits be seen on the liver?

Answer 40

after one episode of binge drinking - destroy architecture of the liver and have problem detoxifying nitrogen - can be reserved

Question 41

what kind of agent is alcohol?

Answer 41

psychoagent

Question 42

alcohol poisoning

Answer 42

unconscious, slow respirations (less than 8) and cold, clammy or bluish skin

Question 43

alcohol is ingested and turned into what

Answer 43

acetaldehyde

Question 44

where does beta oxidation occur?

Answer 44

inside mitochondria

Question 45

NAD AND NADH effects

Answer 45

- once the extra NADH is there, the TCA cycle will slow down (no NAD to take electrons to ETC) - nowhere for acetyl coA to go: can make ketones or fatty acids

Question 46

When acetyl coA turns back into fatty acids what happens?

Answer 46

fat deposits in liver

Question 47

hyperlipidemia

Answer 47

acetyl coA attaches to VLDL and goes out to bloodstream; sometimes it gets trapped and not go out