Metabollism (Including liver structure) Flashcards
What are the characteristics of the outer mitochondrial membrane?
Smooth and freely permeable to molecules under 5kDa
No ionic or electrical gradients
What are the characteristics of the inner mitochondrial membrane?
Permeable to only a small number of molecules via specific transporters
More protein than lipid
Folded into Cristal
Good insulator, maintains electrical and ionic gradients
What is the blood supply to the liver
INPUT = hepatic artery and portal vein. Receives 25% of cardiac output (75% of which comes from the portal vein and 25% of which comes from the hepatic artery) OUTPUT = hepatic venules drain into the hepatic vein which drains into the IVC
What is the structure of a liver lobule?
Liver divided into lobule separated by connective tissue, lobules are hexagonal with a portal triad at each vertice, the blood from the hepatic artery and portal vein flows through sinusoids in between plates of hepatocytes into a central venule which drains into the hepatic vein. Bile is secreted by cells and runs in bile canaliculi to hepatic duct (runs in opposite direction to blood)
In the liver what is the name of the space between endothelial cells and hepatocytes and what does it contain?
Space of Disse, contains collagen and stellate cells
What is special about the endothelial cells in the internal structure of the liver?
pores and fenestra ensure that endothelial cells do not form a barrier for most small molecules (though particles the size of chylomicrons are excluded).
What are the 5 cell types found in the liver?
1) Hepatocytes
2) Endothelial cells (lining sinusoids)
3) Kupffer cells (macrophages in sinusoidal lining, phagocytose old erythrocytes, gut derived bacteria etc.)
4) Hepatic stellate cells (fat filled cells, primary vitamin A storage, control turnover of connective tissue synthesising collagen and regulate contractility of sinusoids)
5) Pit cells (liver associated lymphocytes), natural killer cells that protect the liver from viruses/tumour cells
What are the basic functions of the liver?
Factory: protein, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, bile formation
Waste management: detoxify xenobiotics, remove internal waste and degrade bilirubin
What are the components of bile?
Water, bicarbonate, bile salts, phospholipids, free cholesterol
What from and where are bile salts formed?
Formed from cholesterol in the liver
What are the steps in bile salt synthesis?
In liver:
1) Hydroxylation of cholesterol to from primary bile acids
2) Primary bile acids conjugated with either Glycine or taurine and excreted in bile
How are secondary bile acids formed?
In the gut, gut derived bacteria can deconjugate bile salts and can also dehydroxylate primary bile acids to form secondary bile acids (which can be taken back up by gut and circulate to the liver where they can be conjugated to bile salts and secreted in the bile)
Describe the recirculation of bile?
Either conjugated (bile salts) or deconjugated bile acids (primary or secondary) can be reabsorbed by the gut and circulate to the liver where they can be processed and excreted again in the bile
How is bile acid synthesis controlled?
Bile acids inhibit bile acid synthesis - feedback inhibition
What is cholestyramine and how does it work?
Cholesterol reducing drug which works by binding to bile salts and preventing them from being recirculated and thus increases bile salt synthesis from cholesterol
How does increasing dietary fibre reduce cholesterol?
Fibre binds to bile salts and prevents them being circulated so more bile acids are synthesised from cholesterol
Why do gall stones occur?
Bile contains free cholesterol as well as bile salts, if more cholesterol enters the bile than can be solubilised by the bile acids then cholesterol precipitates out
What percentage of bile salts are recirculated?
95%
What are xenobiotics?
They are potentially toxic substances with no nutritional value eg. Drugs/ food toxins or additives
What are the 3 main waste products from the body?
1) Hormones eg. Growth hormone, insulin
2) Bilirubin from the break down of Hb
3) Urea to remove ammonium ions mostly from the breakdown of proteins but some derived from gut bacteria
How are xenobiotics normally broken down?
Phase 1 reactions (oxidation, hydroxylation, reduction, hydrolysis:
Xenobiotic to primary metabolite
Phase 2 reactions (conjugation, sulphation, glucuronidation):
Primary metabolite to secondary metabolite
-Metabolites are normally pharmacologically inactive and more hydrophilic, they are excreted into he urine or bile
Where do phase 1 reactions of metabolism of Xenobiotic normally occur?
In hepatocytes
Which group of enzymes are mainly involved in phase 1 reactions of metabolism of Xenobiotic and where are they found?
Cytochrome P450 enzymes, large family of haem proteins (mono-oxygenases) found in the SER of hepatocytes
They are inducible by some drugs and alcohol
Individual variation in P450 enzymes could be of importance in therapeutics
Why can detoxification of Xenobiotic sometimes present a problem in therapeutics?
Can create problems when drugs delivered orally because of first pass metabolism
Where do phase 2 reactions of the metabolism of Xenobiotic occur and what do they involve?
Many enzymes involved, occur primarily in the liver but also in lung and kidney. Addition of glucuronyl, methyl, acetyl, sulphate and glycyl groups
When is alcohol metabolised by Cytochrome P450 enzymes?
Alcohol is only metabolised by these enzymes when alcohol levels are high, chronic alcohol use induces the synthesis of P450 enzymes
How is alcohol normally metabolised in the liver?
1) Ethanol to Acetaldehyde (by alcohol dehydrogenase in the cytosol of hepatocytes)
2) Acetaldehyde to acetate (be acetaldehyde dehydrogenase in the mitochondria of hepatocytes)
Both reactions produce NADH
How are red blood cells broken down and Bilirubin produced?
1)Old erythrocytes phagocytosed mainly by kupffer cells in the liver but also in the spleen or bone marrow
2) The Globin protein in Hb is degraded but the haem is converted to biliverdin (green) (iron part removed here) then to Bilirubin
HAEM - BILIVERDIN - BILIRUBIN
How is Bilirubin from the break down of erythrocytes transported to the liver?
Bound to albumin (as Bilirubin is very insoluble)
What processes does Bilirubin undergo in the liver?
1) Conjugation (mainly with glucuronic acid)
2) Secretion into bile canaliculi (an active process requiring ATP)
What happens to conjugated Bilirubin when it reaches the gut?
1) Conjugate Bilirubin is metabolised to urobilinogen by gut bacteria
2) Urobilinogen can then either be reabsorbed by the gut and circulate in the blood to the kidneys where is is converted to urobilin and excreted in the urine or…
3) Urobilinogen can be further metabolised in the gut to stercobillin which is excreted in the faeces
What happens to conjugated Bilirubin when it reaches the gut?
1) Conjugate Bilirubin is metabolised to urobilinogen by gut bacteria
2) Urobilinogen can then either be reabsorbed by the gut and circulate in the blood to the kidneys where is is converted to urobilin and excreted in the urine or…
3) Urobilinogen can be further metabolised in the gut to stercobillin which is excreted in the faeces
What is pre-hepatic jaundice?
Haemolytic anaemia eg. Sickle cell anaemia, no problem with liver function but simply too much Bilirubin is being produced to be processed by the liver
What is jaundice?
Can occur due to problems at various stages in the metabolism of Bilirubin, where unconjugated or conjugated Bilirubin cannot be excreted and builds up in the blood and gets deposited in the tissues
What is intrahepatic jaundice?
Can be caused by liver damage, cirrhosis, inflammation infection (or inherited - Gilbert’s syndrome) Liver fails to conjugate Bilirubin and excrete it in the bile
What is extrahepatic jaundice?
Due to a blockage in the bile duct eg. Gall stones, pancreatic carcinoma, bile cannot be excreted (so neither can Bilirubin which builds up and leaks into blood if alternative route is blocked)
What is pre-hepatic jaundice?
Haemolytic anaemia eg. Sickle cell anaemia, no problem with liver function but simply too much Bilirubin is being produced to be processed by the liver
What are the energy stores for a healthy 70kg man?
Fat 400MJ
Usable protein 100MJ
Liver glycogen 2.4MJ
Blood glucose 0.16MJ
In MJ what are the daily energy needs of a 70 kg man?
12MJ
In MJ what are the daily energy needs of a 70 kg man?
12MJ
How much ATP does the average human body contain and what is the rate of turnover of ATP?
Contains 75g but rate of turnover is about 75kg per day
How much energy in food is converted into ATP?
About half is converted into ATP and half is lost a ‘useful’ work
Under aerobic conditions how much cellular ATP is produced in the mitochondria?
About 95%
What are the 2 mitochondrial spaces called?
Matrix and intermembrane space
What are the characteristics of the mitochondrial matrix?
1) Contains a wide range of enzymes - fatty acid oxidation, krebs cycle, urea cycle (only in liver)
2) High concentration of co factors, substrates and ions
3) Contains mitochondrial DNA, RNA and ribosomes, though few mitochondrial proteins are coded on mitochondrial DNA
What are the characteristics of the intermembrane space in mitochondria?
1) Has metabolite and ion concentrations similar to cytosol
2) Contains cytochrome c
In respiration what is the link reaction?
The conversion of pyruvate to acetyl Co A
Which enzyme catalyses the link cycle of respiration?
Pyruvate dehydrogenase
Name an important co factor of the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase?
TPP (Thiamine Pyrophosphatase) Vitamin B1
What does deficiency in Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) cause and why?
Beri Beri (neurological/cardiovascular symptoms) - disrupts the function of Pyruvate dehydrogenase (from the link reaction)
What does deficiency in Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) cause and why?
Beri Beri (neurological/cardiovascular symptoms) - disrupts the function of Pyruvate dehydrogenase (from the link reaction)
What is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome?
Syndrome caused by lack of thiamine seen in alcohol addicts
How is action of the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase controlled?
PDH is inactivated (phosphorylated) when energy levels are high, activation is prompted by any sudden demands on the cell signalled by Ca2+
Why is the link reaction a ‘key decision point’ in metabolism?
Acetyl Co A cannot be converted back to glucose in humans, conversion commits the carbon atoms to energy production (lost as CO2) or lipid synthesis
What are the main outputs of the Krebs/citric acid cycle?
Reduced co enzymes NADH and FADH2, CO2 (waste product) and 1 GTP (=1 ATP)
What are the main outputs of the Krebs/citric acid cycle?
1) Reduced co enzymes NADH and FADH2
2) CO2 (waste product)
3) 1 GTP (=1 ATP)
How is action of the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase controlled?
PDH is inactivated (phosphorylated) when energy levels and levels of AcetylCoA from fat oxidation are high, activation is prompted by any sudden demands on the cell signalled by Ca2+
What are the main outputs of the Krebs/citric acid cycle?
1) Reduced co enzymes NADH and FADH2
2) CO2 (waste product)
3) 1 GTP (=1 ATP)
Where does the link reaction take place?
In the mitochondrial matrix. Pyruvate is transported across the inner mitochondrial membrane from the cytosol to the mitochondrial matrix
What are the 2 main stages of the Krebs cycle?
1) Synthesis of 6-C compound (citrate - by combining oxaloacetate and acetyl co A) which then loses 2 C as CO2 to become 4-C compound (succinyl CoA)
2) Oxidation of 4-C compound to regenerate oxaloacetate and initiate another round of the cycle
What is the TCA (tricarboxylic acid cycle)?
Another name for the Krebs cycle
Where does the Krebs/citric acid/TCA cycle take place?
Mitochondrial matrix
What are the key enzymes (control points) in Krebs cycle?
1) Citrate synthase (AcetylCoA + Oxaloacetate)
2) Isocitrate dehydrogenase (Isocitrate to a-ketoglutarate)
3) a-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (a-ketoglutarate to succinyl co-A)
How are the key enzymes in the Krebs cycle controlled?
1) Inhibited by high levels of NADH and ATP (and succinyl CoA and citrate at points)
2) Stimulated by ADP and NAD+ (only isocitrate dehydrogenase)
How does the Krebs cycle act as an exchange for intermediates of other metabolic pathways?
1) Amino acid carbon chains can be fed into the Krebs cycle
2) Odd chain fatty acids can be fed in (succinyl CoA)
3) Citrate can be used in fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis
4) Malate (one step before oxaloacetate) can be used for glucose synthesis
5) a-ketoglutarate and oxaloacetate can be used in amino acid synthesis
6) SYNTHESIS OF OXALOACETATE FROM PYRUVATE (+CO2) IS IMPORTANT IN REPLENISHING OXALOACETATE FOR KREBS CYCLE TO CONTINUE - oxaloacetate can also come from amino acid carbon chains
Why can diabetic patients not effectively use blood glucose?
In the absence of insulin cells cannot detect blood glucose so start synthesising glucose (even when blood glucose levels are high)
Why do patients with Type 1 diabetes synthesise ketones?
1) Glycolysis is inhibited so conc. pyruvate is low
2) Gluconeogenesis is not inhibited so oxaloacetate and Malate being removed to synthesise glucose
3) In the absence of insulin fatty acids are mobilised from adipose tissue and oxidised to acetyl co A
4) Lack of oxaloacetate prevents this acetyl Co A from entering the Krebs cycle so it is used to synthesis ketones instead
Why do patients with type 1 diabetes develop ketoacidosis?
Even though ketones are being synthesised, brain doesn’t take up ketones as it simply uses the blood glucose that is present but cells can’t detect. Ketones then build up in the blood.
What are the 2 processes in oxidative phosphorylation?
1) Electron transport chain: OXIDATION
2) ATP Synthesis: PHOSPHORYLATION
Where do the processes of oxidative phosphorylation take place?
Across the inner mitochondrial membrane
What are the components of the electron transport chain?
Transmembrane proteins: Complexes 1-4 (also ubiquinone and Cytochrome c)
What process occurs in the electron transport chain of oxidative phosphorylation?
Electrons from NADH and FADH2 enter the ETC and Electrons are transferred from one electron carrier to the next - energy released is used
When the electrons reach Complex IV they are donated to oxygen, reducing it to water – this removes them from the chain.
What process occurs in the electron transport chain of oxidative phosphorylation?
Electrons from NADH and FADH2 enter the ETC and Electrons are transferred from one electron carrier to the next, each reduction step results in the release of energy - energy released is used to pump H+ across the inner mitochondrial membrane (4+4+2 = 10) creating a large proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane
When the electrons reach Complex IV they are donated to oxygen, reducing it to water – this removes them from the chain.
Why is cyanide poisonous?
It blocks the accepting of electrons by oxygen to form water at the end of the ETC, electrons block up along the chain and stop you producing ATP - suffocate despite access to sufficient oxygen
Why are more H+ pumped across the inner mitochondrial membrane using electrons from NADH than FADH2?
FADH2 enters the ETC further along than NADH (at complex 2) so only pumps 8H+ across instead of 10
In oxidative phosphorylation how is ATP synthesised?
Protons flow across through the F0F1 ATPase enzyme down the concentration gradient, this provides the energy required to synthesise ATP
How many hydrogen ions are required to flow through F0F1 ATPase enzyme to produce 1 molecule ATP?
3
What transporters involved in ATP synthesis of oxidative phosphorylation are present in the inner mitochondrial membrane?
1) ADP/ATP antiporter - synthesised ATP flows out in exchange for APD to be used in ATP synthesis
2) Pi/H+ co transporter - Pi transport into matrix requires the removal of 1 H+ from intermembrane space (so synthesis of ATP actually requires 4 (3+1) H+ ions)
How does NADH produced in the cytosol reach the matrix?
NADH cannot directly cross the inner mitochondrial membrane so has to be oxidised in the cytosol, cross the inner mitochondrial membrane as NAD then be reduced in the matrix by electron transport
Why is ATP synthesis not possible if the ETC isn’t functioning?
No proton gradient to drive ATP syntheses enzyme
Why is ETC not possible if ATP synthesis is not occurring?
Protons flow across through the F0F1 ATPase enzyme down the concentration gradient
Energy cannot be released from the electron carriers, so they can’t accept any more electrons – electron transport stops
What are uncouplers into the context of oxidative phosphorylation?
Uncouplers are weak acids which are soluble in the membrane
When they penetrate the inner mitochondrial membrane they diffuse freely
At the inter-membrane space interface they associate with protons – driven by the relatively high [H+]
At the matrix surface they release protons – driven by relatively low [H+]
Overall effect is to dissipate the proton gradient and ETC can continue without ATP synthesis
How is uncoupling used in new born babies?
1) Babies possess brown adipose tissue – has more mitochondria/ different appearance to white adipose tissue
2) Mitochondria in brown adipose tissue contain thermogenin (uncoupling protein-1)
3) When core body temperature drops, sympathetic nervous system release of noradrenalin leads to increased concentrations of free fatty acids in the cytosol, which activate thermogenin
Babies use this mechanism to maintain core body temperature - they uses the ETC to generate heat rather than for ATP synthesis
What is the significance of brown adipose tissue in adults?
Recently identified in adults, decreases with obesity and age, may be a valuable therapeutic target to promote triglyceride clearance and weight loss
What is dinitrophenol?
Was available as a slimming pill, However side effects including hyperthermia, tachycardia, excess sweating, blindness (due to cataracts) & fatalities led to it being withdrawn in 1938
What are the 5 possible uses of amino acids in the body and what must be removed from them before they can be put to any of these uses?
Nitrogen must be removed
1) Protein synthesis
2) Glucose/ glycogen synthesis
3) Fatty acid, ketone body synthesis
4) Break down to form ATP
5) Synthesis of nitrogen containing metabollites
The nitrogen containing compounds dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline are synthesised from which amino acid?
Tyrosine
The nitrogen containing compound haem is synthesised from which amino acid?
Glycine
The nitrogen containing compound serotonin is synthesised from which amino acid?
Tryptophan
The nitrogen containing compound histamine is synthesised from which amino acid?
Histidine