Proteins - Lecture Thirteen

Question 1

Drug metabolism of alcohol

Answer 1

Alcohol goes into your gut and the stomach tries to get rid of it by using enzymes- ADH (alcohol dehydrogenase) first to produce an aldehyde from the alcohol. An ALDH enzyme (aldehyde dehydrogenase) then turns the aldehyde into an acetic acid

Question 2

Ethylene glycol

Answer 2

Ethylene glycol looks like ethanol so alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme picks it up, however it is very toxic

Question 3

How do you treat a patient who has ethylene glycol in their system?

Answer 3

Add ethanol so the ADH enzymes are reacting with the ethanol instead of ethylene glycol

Question 4

How do drugs act?

Answer 4

Drugs bind to things in cells and change stuff (to do this they often interact with cellular proteins).

Question 5

Types of receptors

Answer 5

Form a channel across the membrane
Transmit a signal across the membrane
Membrane bound enzymes
Intracellular

Question 6

Receptor

Answer 6

A protein molecule that receives chemical signals from outside a cell

Question 7

Ligands

Answer 7

A molecule, or drug, that binds to a receptor (agonist and antagonist)

Question 8

Agonist

Answer 8

A chemical capable of activating a receptor to induce a response

Question 9

Antagonist

Answer 9

A drug that blocks the receptor and stops the effects of another drug or molecule

Question 10

GABAa receptor

Answer 10

A membrane bound ligand gated chloride channel that has many ligands including benzodiazepines (sedatives) and barbiturates (sedative) GABAa receptors also inhibit

Question 11

Alcohol and GABAa

Answer 11

Agonist binding opens the channel and allows chloride ions (Cl-) into the cell, this decreases the general activity in the nervous system causing loss of co-ordination, memory loss and slurred speech. The effects are dose dependant as lower doses are associated with relaxation and higher doses with coma or death