Alcohol week Flashcards
Daily units for men and women?
3-4 Men
2-3 Women
Criteria for alcohol dependence syndrome?
A strong desire/compulsion to consume alcohol
Impaired capacity to control drinking
physiological withdrawal state
Evidence of alcohol tolerance
Neurological alcohol related disabilities?
Epilepsy
Peripheral neuropathy
Cerebellar degeneration
WKS
GI alcohol related disabilities?
Gastritis
Peptic ulceration
Pancreatitis
Oesophageal varices
Psychiatric alcohol related disabilities?
Alcohol dependence
Depression/anxiety
Steps of normal ethanol metabolism in the liver?
Ethanol to Acetaldehyde (catalysed by Alcohol dehydrogenase) - NAD to NADH
Acetaldehyde to Acetate (Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase) NAD to NADH
How much alcohol is metabolised in the normal system and how much in the MEOS system?
80-90% in normal
10-20% in MEOS system
What are the steps of alcohol metabolism in the MEOS system?
Ethanol to acetaldehyde (catalysed by CYP2E1)
During: NADPH + H+ + O2 = NADP+ + 2H2O
Stops there
What damage is done by acetaldehyde?
Flushing (dilated capillaries
Nausea and Vomiting
Liver Damage from free radicals
How does acetaldehyde cause liver damage?
Inhibits glutathione which protects agains H2O2 damage
Binds and inhibits enzymes that prevent free-radical damage
How are alcoholics treated pharmacologically, how’s it work?
Disulfiram - inhibits ALDH (which breaks down acetaldehyde into acetate)
How are there differences in people’s ability to process alcohol?
ADH, ALDH and CYP2E1 can all have genetic differences that can make them more or less effective.
Drinking history - levels of gastric ADH decrease and levels of CYP2E1 increase
Gender - females have lower gastric ADH
Quantity - as more alcohol is consumed more is processed by the MEOS pathway
Stages of liver damage?
Fatty Liver
Hepatitis/Fibrosis
Cirrhosis
What causes an increased NADH to NAD ratio in alcohol consumption?
The conversion of ethanol to acetaldehyde by ADH
The Conversion of acetaldehyde to acetate
Both produce NADH from NAD
What does the increased NADH to NAD ratio cause?
Fatty liver
Ketoacidosis
Lacticacidosis
hyperuricaemia
Hypoglycaemia
How does an increased NADH to NAD ratio cause a Fatty Liver?
NADH increases the availability of glycerol-3-phosphate
This means triacylglycerides are converted to VLDS
How does increased NADH lead to ketoacidosis?
Fats that are oxidised to acetyl CoA are encouraged to enter ketogenesis rather than the TCA cycle due to the presence of high concentrations of NADH
High amounts of alcohol also increases the amount of acetate, which is a preferential fuel to ketones and means there are more ketones in the body
How are lacticacidosis and hyperuricaemia caused by the increased NADH to NAD ratio?
NADH encourages lactate to be formed instead of pyruvate after glycolysis producing lacticacidosis
lactic acid decreases uric acid excretion = hyperuricaemia
How is hypoglycaemia caused by the high NADH to NAD ratio?
The reduction of gluconeogenesis
Reduced as less pyruvate is formed (lactate instead)
Other factors prevented from entering Gluconeogenesis as well, such a:s oxaloacetate
Presenting signs of an alcoholic?
Resting tachycardia
Hepatomegaly
Ascites (belly)
peripheral neuropathy
An alcoholics blood results? Why?
Reduced RBC + Haemoglobin, increased clotting time, hyperbillirubic due to reduced liver function
HCHb (Hb per cell) is normal there is just reduced cells
Why do alcoholics have a decreased appetite? why is this problematic?
Due to high calorie content of alcohol, problematic as will eat less and will get less nutrition.
Main nutrients that are deficient in alcoholism?
Thiamin, Folate, B12