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Ethanol hepatotoxicity

B

blowpipe

Bluelighter
Joined
Aug 24, 2015
Messages
84
I'm a person who enjoys beer, often in larger quantities, and so I've been thinking about protecting my liver for the long run. So my question for the more educated folk here is: what do you think would be an effective way to counteract acetaldehyde hepatotoxicity?

I've researched it a bit and I've seen some people recommend sulfur-containing amino acids among others during the intake of alcohol. I know acetylcysteine has been proven (especially combined with thiamine) to reduce liver damage in rats following administration of acetaldehyde, but the problem with acetylcysteine is that it has low oral bioavailability and apparently tastes bad, provoking nausea and vomiting - hence not an ideal candidate for everyday use. Another study found that S-allyl cysteine reduces oxidative stress in kidneys. Thiamine appears to be safe if used in excess (as would probably be needed for it to be effective in protecting), but I can't find any more info than that about its effectiveness. Methionine excess seems to be increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration in rat liver tissue leading to hepatotoxicity, which is the opposite of what we want!

From browsing anecdotal reports, it seems that for some people such supplementation prevents a host of hangover symptoms, which is a good sign that acetaldehyde is neutralized to some extent; unfortunately a lot of people don't seem to notice any difference. Personally I have tried administering larger quantities of thiamine in form of dried yeast, but I can't say for sure that it helped anything whatsoever.

Another thing I've been wondering about: since ethanol metabolism follows zero-order kinetics because of the large excess of ethanol, it is reasonable to assume that acetaldehyde is produced at a fixed rate as soon as ethanol concentration reaches the "saturation" mark. So how come drinking speed affects the symptoms attributed to acetaldehyde poisoning? I've tested it in different scenarios a few times, all scenarios are me consuming 6 units of beer in an evening, which is borderline in terms of hangover or no-hangover for me:
-Within first 2 hours I consume 3 units, the other 3 units are consumed within the next 3 hours. So 6 units in 5 hours. Generally this results in close to no hangover symptoms.
-Start about the same, 3 units in 2 hours, then 3 more in 2 hours, so 6 units in 4 hours. This would usually result in a noticeable hangover.
-Drink all 6 units in 3 hours total. Most definitely results in a moderate hangover.
So am I missing something here or there are other factors at play?

Very interested in hearing your responses!
 
On the l-asparagine acetydehyde relationship (acetyldehyde is part of the hepatoxic and hangover effect I believe)
https://www.google.com/patents/EP0631778A1?cl=en

The protectant I used myself was a Milkthistle/ Silybum Marianum extract, pretty good at harnassing the liver. But I have not find good scientific based evidence for that. But is well known through century's of use to be especially good for the liver. But without proper measurements it's hard to say to what degree and at what dosage it does this.
 
Thanks for your input. Why is the peak ethanol concentration (Fig. 4) of placebo higher than aspargine/tate? Also, I don't really get how aspartate helps reduce acetaldehyde concentration. Is it supposed convert NADH back into NAD which is needed for the metabolism of ethanol/acetaldehyde? Interesting info nonetheless.

Now if only there was a widely available ADH inhibitor...
 
i guess a ALDH inducer would be better than a ADH inhibitor, it would reduce acetaldehyde concentration without incresing alchool concentration, but it's far more difficult to create and enzyme inducer than an inhibitor
 
Yes and no. An inducer wouldn't rid the body of excess NADH and other concequences of excess alcohol metabolism (acidosis for example). Personally I'd prefer an inhibitor - saves money spent on the booze and prolongs the effects.
 
Alcohol is a poison. It definitely is a drug though, and I drink occasionally even thought I find the effects to be... Messy and unpredictable at best. In all honesty, the best way to avoid any real damage done by ethanols hepatoxicity and neurotoxicity, is to drink in moderation, and to limits the number of times per week/month that you do consume anything past a couple drinks in a night.

I myself prefer to not have any sort of tolerance to alcohol , maintained through reducing my frequency of use and limiting the amount I'll drink, if/when I do decide to consume. If you manage to keep tolerance low ( which to do, you must be an infrequent drinker), then when you do end up drinking, you won't ever need more than 4-8 drinks max to get as drunk as you want.

It's a win win; by drinking less frequently to get a low tolerance, when you are drinking, you consume a fair bit less than someone with a tolerance, AND achieve greater effects from a smaller amount. It reduces hangover, and it reduces the amount of ethanol your body has to metabolize and therefore lowers the amount of acetaldehyde All of that combined makes it so most of the damage to lover and body and brain is minimized. Also it's a lot cheaper if you are drinking at a bar or club.
 
I find if I take breaks from drinking, my hangovers are far more severe, even if I consume less due to tolerance. And vice versa, if I drink often, I don't get hangovers.
 
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