Chapter 10: Alcohol

ethyl alcohol

most familiar

used as a beverage

two carbon atoms, complement of hydrogens, plus the -OH

methyl alcohol/ wood alcohol

simpler chemical structure

highly toxic if consumed

would cause blindness, coma, and death

denatured alcohol

mixture of ethanol and other organic solvents

makes toxic and unpalatable solution

commonly used as fuel, antifreeze and industrial solvents

isopropyl alcohol

small molecular chain

most useful as rubbing alcohol or disinfectant

dangerous to consume

how is ethyl alcohol produced

fermentation

• occurs naturally whenever microscopic yeast cells in the air fall on a product containing sugar or grains

what is yeast’s role in alcohol fermentation?

coverts sugar molecules into alcohol and carbon dioxide (2 each)

what is roughly the max concentration of alcohol that year is able to survive?

15%

distillation

heating fermented mixture to the point where alcohol boils off in steam and leaves water behind

• used for whiskey, brandy, rum, tequila

what are the three ways of increasing alcohol concentration?

• distillation

• adding additional alcohol

• fractional freezing

fractional freezine

fermented mixture is cooled until partially frozen, and the ice crystals are removed, resulting in the removal of water while the unfrozen alcohol remains in the mixture

what is the nutritional value of alcohol?

• high in calories

• lacks proteins, vitamins or minerals

what is the “proof” on alcohol content

it means that the alcohol content is 50% because if poured on gunpowder, it burns

blood-alcohol concentration

amount of alcohol in a given unit of blood, usually given as a percent representing milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood

what BAC is required to produce measurable behavioral effects?

0.02%

where is alcohol absorbed?

GI tract:

10% from the stomach

90% from the small intestine

how does food slow the metabolism of alcohol?

delays movement of material from stomach to intestine

• alcohol dehydrogenase has more opportunity to metabolize alcohol in the stomach

how does carbonation affect alcohol metabolism

absorbs more rabidly because it speeds the movement of materials from stomach to intestine

how alcohol metabolized and excreted?

• 95% by the liver and than excreted as carbon dioxide and water in the urine

• 5% excreted by the lungs

aldehyde dehydrogenase

enzyme in the liver that metabolizes the acetaldehyde intermediate formed by alcohol oxidation into acetic acid

what other drugs can be cross-tolerant with alcohol?

barbiturates and benzodiazepines

delirium tremens

severe effects of alcohol withdrawal characterized by irritability, headaches, agitation, hallucinations, and confusion

common symptoms of alcohol posioning

unconsciousness, vomiting, slow and irregular breathing, skin that is cold, clammy and pale bluish in color

how does heavy alcohol use cause brain damage?

• serious deficiency in vitamin B1 (thiamine) as the result of both poor diet and failure to absorb that vitamin, as well as other nutrients, during digestion

• thiamine is critical for brain glucose metabolism

Wernicke’s encephalopathy

• confusion and disorientation, poor coordination, tremors, weakness and ataxia

• results from lesions in periaqueductal grey, medial thalamus, mammillary bodies of the hypothalamus

superficial vasodilation

heat is being lost from the body rather than being retained

fatty liver

damaging effect of alcohol characterized by the accumulation of triglycerides inside liver cells

alcohol-induced cirrhosis

condition seen in chronic alcohol users caused by scar tissue formation that promotes cell death as scar tissue cuts off blood supplies

nonspecific actions

depend on its ability to move into membranes, changing the fluid cahracter of the lipids that make up membranes

specific actions

probably responsible for most of the acute effects of ethanol at intoxicating doses

alcohol use disorder

form of substance misuse characterized by compulsive alcohol seeking and use despite damaging social and health effects

binge drinking

consumption of five or more alcoholic drinks within a 2-hour period

what are the three drugs approved by the FDA to treat AUD

• disulfiram (antabuse)

• naltrexone (revia)

• acamprosate (campral)

what are the two basic strategies for pharmacotherapeutic treatment for AUD?

making alcohol ingestion unpleasant

reducing its reinforcing qualities