Electron microscopic studies on fetal rat hepatocytes illustrated a slight disruption of mitochondrial structure such as enlargement of mitochondria and dilation of cristae 145. This disruption was accompanied by mitochondrial swelling, altered mitochondrial membrane potential, decrease in succinate dehydrogenase activity, and decrease in cellular ATP levels 145. There are evidences that chronic ethanol intake during pregnancy in rats increased fetal liver aldehyde dehydrogenase in the mitochondrial fraction, in which the activity was 10-fold higher than in the placenta mitochondrial fraction 146. Alcoholic liver disease is damage to the liver due to alcohol abuse and usually occurs after years of excessive drinking. Changes in the liver include steatosis, steatohepatitits to fibrosis and cirrhosis 108,109. Moreover, chronic alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with liver cirrhosis 110.
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Acetaldehyde is metabolized mainly by aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) in the mitochondria to form acetate and NADH (Adapted from 34). This inflammation is called pancreatitis, and it prevents the pancreas from working properly. Acute pancreatitis can turn into a condition of constant inflammation of pancreas, which is known as chronic pancreatitis. Chronic pancreatitis is a risk factor for the development of pancreatic cancer and pancreatic diabetes.
How Does Alcohol Affect the Body?
It only recently has been recognized that alcohol misuse also increases the risk of acute lung injury following major trauma, such as a serious motor vehicle accident or other event requiring hospitalization, or the spread of bacteria attributed to infection (i.e., sepsis). In the brain, alcohol exerts its effects by interacting with numerous neurotransmitters and their receptors, with different neurotransmitters producing different behavioral effects of alcohol. One neurotransmitter affected by even small amounts of alcohol is called glutamate. Glutamate plays an important role in the ability of the brain to create new memories.
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Drinking excessively can cause your kidneys to decrease their ability to filter your blood. The effects of alcohol on various tissues depend on its concentration in the blood over time. After oral administration, ethanol is readily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract; absorption takes place by passive diffusion through the stomach wall (about 20%), being the remaining 80% absorbed through the duodenum and small intestine wall 32. Elimination of absorbed ethanol occurs primarily through metabolism (95–98%), with small fractions of the administered dose being excreted unchanged in the breath (0.7%), sweat (0.1%), and urine (0.3%) 33.
- This includes several key energy metabolism enzymes of β-oxidation, the TCA cycle, and amino acid metabolism 55.
- The metabolism of ethanol is closely linked with stimulation of reactive oxygen species generation and oxidative stress.
- Gastric mucosa is rich in protein sulfhydryl groups, which may be the target of ROS.
- However, these changes can be profound in people with severe AUD, who may demonstrate clinical evidence of dehydration.
This review analyzes diverse topics on the alcohol consumption effects in several human organs and demonstrates the direct participation of mitochondria as potential target of compounds that can be used to prevent therapies for alcohol abusers. The well documented cardioprotective effects of moderate alcohol consumption in animal models and in humans 149 are due to increased blood pressure and also those antioxidants properties, which can prevent oxidative stress. Resveratrol possesses diverse biochemical and physiological actions that include the ability to protect brain, kidney, and heart from ischemic injury 150. The cardioprotective effects of resveratrol have been attributed to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties 152,153. In addition, the beneficial role of resveratrol may be due also to increasing mitochondrial number as observed in obese mice 157. It has been postulated that neuronal alterations found in FAS could be due to some initial damage during development on astrocytes, which are more susceptible to the toxic effect of ethanol during proliferation than during differentiation.
Alcohol Effects on the Liver
Biopsies from patients with ALD showed partial villous atrophy, increase in lamina propia infiltrate, and intraepithelial lymphocytes. Ultrastructural evaluation revealed changes such as widened intercellular junction, distorted microvilli, increased rough endoplasmic reticulum, and increased and dilated mitochondria 115. Chronic alcohol administration favors the formation of megamitochondria, due to increasing mitochondrial membrane permeability and decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential 116 and diminished activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes 117.
- As a result of these and other changes, brain mass shrinks and the brain’s inner cavity grows bigger.
- In apolipoprotein E-deficient mice, resveratrol reduces the susceptibility of LDL to oxidation and aggregation 93, while in vascular smooth muscle cells inhibited the platelet-derived growth factor beta receptor (PDGF) that is crucial on the development of atherosclerosis 94.
- In most people, the body will quickly restore electrolyte balance once the effects of alcohol subside.
- The oxidation of mitochondrial proteins is a common feature of both acute and chronic ethanol exposure 53.
- Alcohol circulates in the body through the bloodstream; starting from the mouth, it travels to the liver, then to the circulatory system, kidney, pancreas, lungs, stomach, and the brain.
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The mild dehydration that results likely contributes to hangover symptoms such as thirst, fatigue, and a headache. Research has not found a correlation between the extent of electrolyte disruptions and the severity of hangovers, or the impact of added electrolytes on hangover severity. In most people, the body will quickly restore electrolyte balance once the effects of alcohol subside. However, these changes can be marijuana addiction profound in people with severe AUD, who may demonstrate clinical evidence of dehydration.
- These clinical conditions may be worsened by drinking alcohol and take medications like aspirin that can also cause the same problems.
- Understanding the mechanism that leads to tolerance and dependence may give valuable insight into alcohol addiction and ultimately result in effective therapeutic intervention to combat this disorder 31.
- In the brain, alcohol exerts its effects by interacting with numerous neurotransmitters and their receptors, with different neurotransmitters producing different behavioral effects of alcohol.
- Increased levels of neurotransmitters such as GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), endorphin, and dopamine lead to hallucinations, increased aggression, infertility, fatigue, and dyspnea.
- This disruption was accompanied by mitochondrial swelling, altered mitochondrial membrane potential, decrease in succinate dehydrogenase activity, and decrease in cellular ATP levels 145.
- And that’s on top of the toll that alcohol use can take on relationships, not to mention the potential for financial strain and legal troubles.
Steatotic liver disease develops in about 90% of people who drink more than 1.5 to 2 ounces of alcohol per day. Moderate drinking can be a part of a healthy lifestyle, but it’s important to understand the effects that chronic drinking (frequently drinking over the recommended daily consumption) can kidney pain from drinking have on the body. In 2012, WHO reported that about 6% of deaths all over the world were caused due to alcohol consumption. Even a single sip of alcohol creates lot of unhealthy drastic changes in the body. Alcohol interferes with the glutamate (a neurotransmitter) action and affects the memory, resulting in total blackout.
