Ethyl Alcohol

Enzymes that play a role in high doses of alcohol

CYP2E1 and catalase

Role of ethanol on GABA

Increase chloride ion flow, hyper polarizing the cell and decreasing the action potential → leads to sedation, muscle relaxation, inhibition of cognitive and motor skills

Role of ethanol on glutamate

Inhibits responsiveness of NDMA receptors to glutamate, resulting in decreased neuronal firing

Alcohol myopia

Cause a focus on the present without thinking about the consequences, cognitive and mental deficits impair problem solving and reduce fear → plays a major role in crime

Side effects of alcohol

Reversible drug-induced amnesia (blackouts)

Liver damage

pancreatitis

Chronic gastritis

Permanent alcohol induced dementia

Fetal alcohol syndrome

Metabolic alcohol tolerance

Liver increases metabolizing enzymes

Tissue / functional tolerance

Neurons adapt to drug presence (behavioral only)

Associative alcohol tolerance

environmental related tolerance

Korsakoff’s syndrome

TREAT WITH THIAMINE

Caused by damage to the mammillary bodies (memory) leads to permanent anterograde amnesia

Diazepam MOA

binds GABA receptor to facilitate chloride opening

Clinical use of Diazepam

Treatment of alcohol withdrawal and seizure disorders

Carbamazepine and valproic acid MOA

inactivation of Na+ channels

Carbamazepine and valproic acid clinical use

Prevention of withdrawal induced seizures

Gabapentin and Oxacarbazepine MOA

decreases glutamate release and inactivation of sodium channel

Gabapentin and Oxacarbazepine clinical use

prevention of withdrawal induced seizure

Fomepizole MOA

competitive inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase

clinical use of Fomepizole

treat methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning

Disulfiram MOA

Blocks conversion of acetaldehyde to acetate

Disulfiram clinical use

Chronic alcoholism

Acamprosate clinical use

Alcohol dependent patients

Naltrexone clinical use

Opioid sue and alcohol use disorder

Naltrexone MOA

Blocks the effects of opioid receptors