Posted by chemist on January 18, 2005, at 11:43:03
In reply to Re: Which neurostransmitters affect social phobia? » banga, posted by lars1 on January 18, 2005, at 4:29:55
hello there, chemist here...i could not help but notice that oxytocin - which is summoned from the posterior pituitary to induce a contractile event in smooth muscle enveloping an expanding uterus - was indicated as a target of alcohols (ethanol in particular). the other choice is to aid in breast feeding biomechanics.
i seem to recall that a rare few males of the human variety (no jokes, please) have been known to lactate, yet i am foggy on whether this is true or if it is a ``recovered non-memory.'' in any event, it is the other hormone - not neurotransmitter - that is suitable prey for an alcohol (and other suspects): anti-diuretic hormone (a.k.a. vasopressin), useful for keeping the fluids topped-off.
underexpression of this little number in the early, early developmental stages of life (or preexisting kidney problems) does set the stage for type I diabetes (insipidus)....and alcohol and pregnancy do not mix, that is for certain....
the methanol is not present in amounts in commercial ``adult beverages'' to make a difference in re: addiction or hangover. both remain mysteries, yet not entirely: the hangover is a combination of dehydration, loss of vitamins and minerals (especially thiamine), acidosis (more a problem with methanol and ethylene glycol), widening the anion gap (more a problem with ethylene glycol), off-balance blood sugar, and the very short half-life of the drug. hence, the hangover ``cure'' that contains alcohol is satisfying the craving the morning after.
the dark vs. light coloration is most attributed to congeners and lack of adequate distillation/filtration (mostly the former). think of congeners as patchwork molecules containing various functional groups that may impart an aroma/taste/color you find desireable.
your body will not be as pleased in that many of the congeners are not easily and painlessly decomposed by your system (the natural analog(s) might be humic and fulvic acids and tannins).
if one should imbibe methanol, alcohol dehydrogenase (a bit in the gut but the heft in the liver and a smidgeon in the retina) will oxidize it to formaldehyde, but ethanol competitively binds with methanol for the active site in ADH (and wins) and thus any methanol is sent out with the liquid waste. the citric acid cycle, muscle function (skeletal), electron transfer, pyruvate/lactate balance, and many other things i have long forgotten or never knew are involved.
my 44 year-old reference (biochemist's handbook) opines that ADH is present in the retina to oxidize vitimin A to retinal, and cannot do so if methanol arrives there first (the blindness/coma/etc. does tend to set in tens of hours later); a newer text asserts that formic acid damages the optic nerve. not a good idea to drink the stuff in any case.
the allergy you reference could arise from sulfite salts used as antioxidants in wines, some natural product your body does not ``like,'' or any number of things a more enlightened enologist than i can impart.
being allergic to formaldehyde sounds like a good thing, as presumably you are aware if it is present and can thus avoid being around a carcinogen for long - but please do not take my comment to making light of your allergy (i have almost collected the complete set, myself), it is usually sulfite-laden red wine that is the culprit.
cheers, chemist
> > Do you mean formaldehyde? If yes, that would be interesting--I am allergic to formaldehyde and it is hypothesized that my alcoholism stems from an allerg/chemical sensitivity.
>
> Yes. Alcoholic beverages contain trace amounts of methanol, which gets metabolized to formaldehyde. Dark liquors (whiskey, dark rum, red wine) contain more methanol than light ones (vodka, gin) and therefore result in more formaldehyde. This may explain why they are also more likely to cause a hangover.
>
> I don't think formaldehyde has much to do with alcohol's psychoactive effects (other than hangovers). Ethanol gets preferentially metabolized before methanol, so formaldehyde doesn't start getting produced until you are sobering up.
>
> Lars
poster:chemist
thread:442780
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050113/msgs/443700.html