Sathish kumar Arone

Alcoholism is a
disabling addictive disorder. It is
characterized by compulsive and
uncontrolled consumption
of alcohol despite its negative
effects on the drinker's health,
relationships, and social
standing.

A hangover describes the sum of unpleasant physiological

effects following heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages. The
most commonly reported characteristics of a hangover
include headache, nausea, sensitivity to
light and noise, lethargy, dysphoria, diarrhea and thirst,
typically after the intoxicating effect of the alcohol begins to
wear off.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase
CH3CH2OH + NAD+ CH3CHO + NADH + H+

Acetaldehyde Dehydrogenase
CH3CHO + NAD+ + CoA acetyl-CoA + NADH + H+

dehydration, fatigue, headache

body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence
weakness, elevated body temp and heart rate
hypersalivation, difficulty concentrating,
sweating, anxiety, dysphoria, irritability
sensitivity to light and noise, erratic motor
functions (including tremor),
trouble sleeping, severe hunger, increased libido
halitosis, and lack of depth perception

committing criminal offences, including child

abuse, domestic
violence, rape, burglary and assault.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome
When alcohol consumption is stopped too
abruptly, the person's nervous system suffers
from uncontrolled synapse firing. This can result
in symptoms that include anxiety, life
threatening seizures, delirium tremens,
hallucinations, shakes and possible heart failure.

Alcohol's primary effect is the increase in stimulation of

the GABAA receptor, promoting central nervous
system depression. With repeated heavy consumption of
alcohol, these receptors are desensitized and reduced in
number, resulting in tolerance and physical dependence.
The alcohol suppresses excitatory nerve pathway activity
and increases inhibitory nerve pathway activity. Among
other actions, alcohol enhances the effects of the inhibitory
neurotransmitter GABA. Enhancing an inhibitor has the
effect of making a person sluggish. Also, alcohol weakens
the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamine, which enhances
the sluggishness even farther.

With an excess of NADH, three enzymes of the Citric Acid

Cycle are inhibited (citrate synthase, isocitrate
dehydrogenase, and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase)
essentially shutting it down.
Pyruvate starts to accumulate, and the excess NADH
drives lactate dehydrogenase to produce lactate from
pyruvate in order to regenerate NAD+ and sustain life.
This diverts pyruvate from other pathways such as
gluconeogenesis, thereby impairing the ability of the liver
to compensate for a drop in blood glucose levels, especially
for brain.
Because glucose is the primary energy source of the brain,
this lack of glucose (hypoglycemia) contributes to
symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, mood disturbances,
and decreased attention and concentration.

Alcohol consumption can result in

depletion of the liver's supply
of glutathione and other reductive
detoxification agents,reducing its
ability to effectively remove
acetaldehyde and other toxins from
the bloodstream. Additionally, alcohol
induces the CYP2E1 enzyme, which
itself can produce additional toxins
and free radicals.

In addition, it is thought that the presence of

other alcohols (fusel oils) and other byproducts of alcoholic fermentation (also
called congeners), exaggerate many of the
symptoms; this probably accounts for the
mitigation of the effects when distilled alcohol,
particularly vodka, is consumed instead. A 2009
study provided evidence that darker-coloured
liquors, such as bourbon, cause worse
hangovers than lighter-coloured liquors, such
as vodka. The higher amount of congeners
found in darker liquors compared to lighter
ones was indicated as the cause

Most people of East Asian descent have a mutation in

their alcohol dehydrogenase gene that makes this
enzyme unusually effective at converting ethanol to
acetaldehyde, and about half of such people also have
a form of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase that is less
effective at converting acetaldehyde to acetic
acid.This combination causes them to suffer
from alcohol flush reaction, in which acetaldehyde
accumulates after drinking, leading to immediate and
severe hangover symptoms. These people are
therefore less likely to become alcoholics.
It is often said that hangovers grow worse as one
ages; this is thought to be caused by declining
supplies of alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme
involved in metabolizing alcohol.

However, in a model of migraine, it was

demonstrated that acetate is the
primary metabolite of alcohol
responsible for alcohol induced
periorbital
hypersensitivity. Furthermore, in the
same model they recapitulated the
effectiveness of caffeine, ketorolac for
ameliorating this hypersensitivity. This
model raises questions about the status
quo hypothesis of hangover headache.

The ancient Romans, on the authority of Pliny the Elder, favored

raw owl's eggs or fried canary.
"Prairie Oyster" restorative, introduced at the 1878 Paris World
Exposition, calls for raw egg yolk mixed with Worcestershire
sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper.
By 1938, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel provided a hangover remedy in the
form of a mixture of Coca-Cola and milk
Alcoholic writer Ernest Hemingway relied on tomato juice and beer.
Certain mixtures were developed specifically for the purpose. The
"Black Velvet" consists of equal parts champagne and flat Guinness
Stout
A 1957 survey by a Wayne State University folklorist found
widespread belief in the efficacy of heavy fried foods, tomato juice
and sexual activity.
Activities said to be restorative include a showeralternating very hot
and very cold water, exercise, and steam bath or sauna
consumption of honey (a significant fructose and glucose source) is
often suggested as a way to reduce the effect of hangovers

Bibliography
1 .Google
2. Wikipedia
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangover
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholism
3. YouTube
4. Harper's Illustrated Biochemistry 28Ed
5.Devlin Clinical Correlation 15.10

"No compelling evidence exists to

suggest that any conventional or
complementary intervention is
effective for preventing or treating
alcohol hangover. The most effective
way to avoid the symptoms of
alcohol induced hangover is to avoid
drinking."