How does alcohol make you drunk? - Judy Grisel

Prevoditelj: Mirela Ivoš Recezent: Sanda L

Ethanol: this molecule, made of little more than a few carbon atoms,

Etanol: ova molekula, načinjena od malo više od nekoliko atoma ugljika,

is responsible for drunkenness.

odgovorna je za pijanstvo.

Often simply referred to as alcohol,

Često jednostavno pod nazivom alkohol,

ethanol is the active ingredient in alcoholic beverages.

etanol je aktivni sastojak u alkoholnim pićima.

Its simplicity helps it sneak across membranes

Jednostavnost mu pomaže da se provuče kroz membrane

and nestle into a many different nooks,

i ugnijezdi u mnogo različitih uglova,

producing a wide range of effects compared to other, clunkier molecules.

stvarajući široki raspon posljedica za razliku od drugih, nezgrapnih molekula.

So how exactly does it cause drunkenness,

Pa kako zapravo uzrokuje pijanstvo

and why does it have dramatically different effects on different people?

i zašto ima dramatično različite posljedice na različite ljude?

To answer these questions,

Da bismo odgovorili na ova pitanja,

we’ll need to follow alcohol on its journey through the body.

morat ćemo slijediti alkohol na njegovu putovanju kroz tijelo.

Alcohol lands in the stomach and is absorbed into the blood

Alkohol se spušta u želudac i apsorbira u krv

through the digestive tract, especially the small intestine.

kroz probavni trakt, posebice tanko crijevo.

The contents of the stomach impact alcohol’s ability

Sadržaj želuca utječe na sposobnost alkohola

to get into the blood because after eating, the pyloric sphincter,

da uđe u krv jer, nakon jela, pilorični se sfinkter,

which separates the stomach from the small intestine, closes.

koji odvaja želudac od tankog crijeva, zatvara.

So the level of alcohol that reaches the blood after a big meal

Tako razina alkohola koja dospije do krvi nakon velikog objeda

might only be a quarter that from the same drink on an empty stomach.

može biti samo četvrtina one od istog pića na prazan želudac.

From the blood, alcohol goes to the organs,

Krvlju alkohol ide do organa,

especially those that get the most blood flow:

posebice onih dobro prokrvljenih:

the liver and the brain.

jetre i mozga.

It hits the liver first, and enzymes in the liver

Prvo pogađa jetru i enzimi unutar jetre

break down the alcohol molecule in two steps.

razgrađuju molekulu alkohola u dva koraka.

First, an enzyme called ADH turns alcohol into acetaldehyde, which is toxic.

Prvo, enzim nazvan ADH pretvara alkohol u acetaldehid, koji je toksičan.

Then, an enzyme called ALDH converts the toxic acetaldehyde to non-toxic acetate.

Onda, enzim nazvan ALDH pretvara toksični acetaldehid u netoksični acetat.

As the blood circulates, the liver eliminates alcohol continuously—

Kako krv cirkulira, jetra eliminira alkohol neprekidno -

but this first pass of elimination determines how much alcohol

ali ovaj prvi prolaz eliminacije određuje koliko alkohola

reaches the brain and other organs.

dospijeva do mozga i drugih organa.

Brain sensitivity is responsible for the emotional, cognitive,

Osjetljivost mozga odgovorna je za emocionalne, kognitivne

and behavioral effects of alcohol— otherwise known as drunkenness.

i bihevioralne posljedice alkohola - inače poznate kao pijanstvo.

Alcohol turns up the brain’s primary brake, the neurotransmitter GABA,

Alkohol pretvara primarnu kočnicu mozga, neurotransmiter GABA-u,

and turns down its primary gas, the neurotransmitter glutamate.

u njegovo primarno gorivo, neurotransmiter glutamat.

This makes neurons much less communicative,

To za posljedicu stvara neurone manje komunikativnima

and users feel relaxed at moderate doses, fall asleep at higher doses,

i konzumer osjeća opuštenost pri umjerenim dozama, zaspi pri većim dozama

and can impede the brain activity necessary for survival at toxic doses.

i može ometati moždanu aktivnost potrebnu za preživljavanje pri toksičnim dozama.

Alcohol also stimulates a small group of neurons

Alkohol također stimulira malu grupu neurona

that extends from the midbrain to the nucleus accumbens,

koja se širi od srednjeg mozga do nukleusa akumbensa,

a region important for motivation.

područja bitnog za motivaciju.

Like all addictive drugs,

Poput svih adiktivnih droga,

it prompts a squirt of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens

potiče mlaz dopamina u nukleus akumbens

which gives users a surge of pleasure.

koji konzumeru daje udar zadovoljstva.

Alcohol also causes some neurons to synthesize and release endorphins.

Alkohol također uzrokuje da neki neuroni sintetiziraju i otpuštaju endorfine.

Endorphins help us to calm down in response to stress or danger.

Endorfini nam pomažu da se smirimo prilikom odgovora na stres ili opasnost.

Elevated levels of endorphins contribute to the euphoria

Povišene razine endorfina doprinose euforiji

and relaxation associated with alcohol consumption.

i opuštenosti povezanoj s konzumacijom alkohola.

Finally,

as the liver’s breakdown of alcohol outpaces the brain’s absorption,

Na kraju,

kako razgradnja alkohola u jetri prestiže apsorpciju u mozgu,

drunkenness fades away.

pijanstvo iščezava.

Individual differences at any point in this journey

Individualne razlike u bilo kojem dijelu ovog putovanja

can cause people to act more or less drunk.

može uzrokovati da ljudi djeluju više ili manje pijano.

For example, a man and a woman who weigh the same and drink the same amount

Na primjer, muškarac i žena koji teže jednako i popiju jednaku količinu

during an identical meal will still have different blood alcohol concentrations,

tijekom jednakoga jela i dalje imaju drugačiju koncentraciju alkohola u krvi,

or BACs.

tj. BAC.

This is because women tend to have less blood—

To je posljedica prosječno manje količine krvi kod žena -

women generally have a higher percentage of fat,

žene uglavnom imaju veći postotak masnog tkiva,

which requires less blood than muscle.

što zahtijeva manje krvi od mišića.

A smaller blood volume, carrying the same amount of alcohol,

Manji volumen krvi, sadržavajući istu količinu alkohola,

means the concentration will be higher for women.

znači da će koncentracija biti viša kod žena.

Genetic differences in the liver’s alcohol processing enzymes also influence BAC.

Genetske razlike u jetrenim enzimima koji procesiraju alkohol također utječe na BAC.

And regular drinking can increase production of these enzymes,

I redovita konzumacija može povećati stvaranje tih enzima,

contributing to tolerance.

doprinoseći toleranciji.

On the other hand, those who drink excessively for a long time

S druge strane, oni koji pretjerano piju duže vrijeme

may develop liver damage, which has the opposite effect.

mogu razviti oštećenje jetre, što ima suprotne posljedice.

Meanwhile, genetic differences in dopamine, GABA,

U međuvremenu, genetske razlike u dopaminu, GABA-i

and endorphin transmission may contribute to risk

i prijenosu endorfina može doprinijeti riziku

for developing an alcohol use disorder.

razvoja ovisnosti o alkoholu.

Those with naturally low endorphin or dopamine levels may self-medicate

Oni s prirodno niskom razinom endorfina ili dopamina mogu se

through drinking.

samoliječiti pijenjem.

Some people have a higher risk for excessive drinking

Neki ljudi imaju veći rizik od prekomjernog opijanja

due to a sensitive endorphin response that increases the pleasurable effects

zbog osjetljivog odgovora na endorfin koji povećava ugodne posljedice

of alcohol.

alkohola.

Others have a variation in GABA transmission

Drugi imaju varijacije u prijenosu GABA-e

that makes them especially sensitive to the sedative effects of alcohol,

što ih čini posebno osjetljivima na sedativne učinke alkohola,

which decreases their risk of developing disordered drinking.

što povećava njihov rizik od razvoja poremećenog pijenja.

Meanwhile, the brain adapts to chronic alcohol consumption by reducing GABA,

U međuvremenu, mozak se prilagođava kroničnoj konzumaciji alkohola smanjujući

dopamine, and endorphin transmission, and enhancing glutamate activity.

prijenos GABA-e, dopamina i endorfina te povećavajući aktivnost glutamata.

This means regular drinkers tend to be anxious, have trouble sleeping,

To znači da su redovni pijanci češće anksiozni, imaju problema sa spavanjem

and experience less pleasure.

i doživljavaju manje zadovoljstva.

These structural and functional changes can lead to disordered use

Te strukturalne i funkcionalne promjene mogu dovesti do poremećene uporabe

when drinking feels normal, but not drinking is uncomfortable,

kada se opijanje čini normalnim, a nepijenje je neugodno,

establishing a vicious cycle.

uspostavljajući začarani krug.

So both genetics and previous experience impact how a person experiences alcohol—

Tako i genetika i prijašnje iskustvo utječu na to kako osoba doživljava alkohol,

which means that some people are more prone

što znači da su neki ljudi skloniji

to certain patterns of drinking than others,

određenim obrascima pijenja od drugih,

and a history of consumption leads to neural and behavioral changes.

i da povijest konzumacije dovodi do neuralnih i bihevioralnih promjena.