MCP Lecture 4 Flashcards
How and where is ethanol most commonly metabolized?
ethanol –> acetaldehyde (production of NADH) in cytosol by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)
acetaldehyde –> acetate (production of NADH) in mitochondria by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)
What happens with acetate from ethanol metabolism?
enters the blood and travels to muscle and other tissues where it converted to acetyl CoA by acetyl CoA synthetase and is oxidized by the Krebs cycle
How is ethanol absorbed in the intestine?
passive diffusion
What is the other route for alcohol metabolism in the liver?
MEOS located in the ER of liver cells
converted by CYP2E1 (ethanol –> acetaldehyde using NADPH)
10-20% of ingested alcohol (moderate drinker)
Which ADH isozyme has the highest affinity (lowest Km) for ethanol? Where are they high in quantity?
ADH1 family
high quantity in the liver - why liver is major site of ethanol metabolism
Which isomer of ALDH has highest affinity for acetaldehyde? Where is this enzyme found?
ALDH2
found in the mitochondria
What does inactive ALDH2 cause?
accumulation of acetaldehyde which is toxic to the body - causes flushing, nausea, vomiting and a distaste for alcohol
What causes genetic protection against alcoholism?
AA substitution (Glu -> lys) makes ALDH2*2 which has 23 fold higher Km and 35 fold lower Vmax
*alcoholics are frequently treated with ALDH inhibitors
What is acetate metabolized to?
acetyl CoA by acetyl CoA synthetase (ACS) which is then used in pathways of cholesterol and FA synthesis
What is the most common isoform of ACS in the liver and where is it found?
ACSI found in the cytosol of liver cells
What happens to the majority of acetate?
enters the blood and is taken up by other tissues where it is synthesized by ACS II and can then enter the TCA cycle and be oxidized to CO2
What are the 2 catalytic components of the enzyme used in the MEOS pathway?
- cytochrome P450 reductase (transfers electrons via FAD and FMN from NADPH)
- cytochrome P450 which contains binding sites for O2 and substrate - carries out the reaction
Which cytochrome P450 has the highest activity when ethanol is substrate? What is the Km in comparison to ADH1?
CYP2E1
has a much higher Km for ethanol than ADH1 - so becomes involved when there is a large quantity of ethanol
What are the products of alcohol oxidation by CYP2E1?
acetaldehyde and ROS
which result in oxidative stress and damage
What does chronic consumption of alcohol induce?
expression of CYP2E1 5-10 fold via stabilization of the protein and protection against degradation