Question

Consuming large amounts of alcohol when blood glucose levels are low can lead to hypoglycemia due to low rates of gluconeogenesis. Considering that ethanol is oxidized to acetaldehyde by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, how do you explain the inhibitory effect of alcohol consumption on gluconeogenesis and the subsequent hypoglycemia

Answer 1

Alcohol consumption

Step-by-step explanation:

• Effect of alcohol consumption on gluconeogenesis

Alcohol consumption will inhibit the process of gluconeogenesis because increase in alcohol (ethanol) will lead to accumulation of NADH

Higher concentration of NADH will inhibit the gluconeogenesis by preventing oxidation of lactate to pyruvate as a result lactate will accumulate

• Effect of alcohol consumption on hypoglycemia

The first step in the synthesis of glucose from lactate in the liver is oxidation of the lactate to pyruvate; like the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde, this requires NAD+

Consumption of alcohol forces a competition for NAD+ between ethanol metabolism and gluconeogenesis, reducing the conversion of lactate to glucose and resulting in hypoglycemia