Alcoholism: A Molecular Perspective

This book contains selected proceedings from the NATO Advanced Study Institute (AS I) "The Molecular Pathology of Alcoholism" held at the Hotel Il Ciocco in Tuscany during 26th August - 6th September 1990. Alcoholism remains one of the most challenging problems in medical care, with far-reaching medical, social and economic consequences. For example in the U. S. , estimates indicate that 18 million people have a serious drinking problem and that the total cost to the economy of alcohol abuse is $117 billion. Treatment of alcohol dependence and other alcohol-related disorders accounts for almost 15% of the total health bill of the United States. Despite the scale of the medical problem, biomedical research on alcoholism remains something of a 'Cinderella science'. Research funding from government and other bodies is relatively poor and the number of medical scientists working in the field remains small. The Organizing Committee for this NATO ASI, comprising Charles Lieber (New York), Timothy Peters (London), Mario Dianzani (Torino), Emanuele Albano (Torino) and Norman Palmer (perth, Director), were therefore particularly grateful to the NATO Scientific Affairs Division for their active support of this AS I, the first dealing with a topic related to alcohol abuse. We moreover hope that this support will continue. The theme of the ASI was an in depth discussion of the molecular events initiated by alcohol abuse that culminate in onset of alcohol-related disease.

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Pathways of ethanol metabolism and related pathology.- Regulation of rates of ethanol metabolism and liver [NAD+]/[NADH] ratio.- Free radical pathology in alcohol-induced liver injury.- Free radical mediated reactions and ethanol toxicity: Some considerations on the methodological approaches.- The molecular pathology of alcoholic liver disease: An overview.- Acetaldehyde adducts and excessive alcohol consumption.- Studies of a chemical measure of acetaldehyde adduct formation.- Ethanol-induced phosphorylation of cytokeratins in primary cultured hepatocytes.- Cloning and characterization of new alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase isozymes.- Physiological role of aldehyde dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.3).- The alcohol dehydrogenase system in the rat: Comparison with the human enzyme.- Changes in the inducibility of a hepatic aldehyde dehydrogenase.- Class III alcohol dehydrogenases: Evidence for their identity with the glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenases.- Genetic polymorphisms of alcohol metabolizing enzymes and their significance for alcohol-related problems.- Biochemical and genetic studies in ALDH1-deficient subjects.- Etiology of subgroups in chronic alcoholism and different mechanisms in transmitter systems.- Genetic linkage analysis: Simple solutions for complex traits?.- The changing view of ethanol's actions: From generalities to specifics.- The neurochemistry of ethanol tolerance.- The role of calcium channels in ethanol dependence.- Structural changes in the hippocampal formation and frontal cortex after long-term alcohol consumption and withdrawal in the rat.- Effect of ethanol on the rat medial septum nucleus: An in vivo study.- Liver tryptophan pyrrolase, brain 5-hydroxytryptamine and alcohol preference.- Alcohol abuse and fuel homeostasis.- Chronic alcoholism, malnutrition and folate deficiency.- Alcohol and protein turnover.- Role of thiamine deficiency in the pathogenesis of alcoholic peripheral neuropathy and the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: An update.- Alcohol and cancer. A critical review.- Metabolism of ethanol and higher alcohols present in alcoholic drinks and their corresponding aldehydes in subcellular components of rat esophageal mucosa, and relevance for esophageal cancer in man.- Activation by human gastric mucosa of alimentary procarcinogens.- Effect of ethanol on gastrointestinal cell proliferation.- Chronic alcoholic skeletal myopathy: An overview.- Effects of ethanol on the immune system.- Workshop: Future Directions in Biomedical Research on Alcoholism.- Introductory remarks.- Biologic disorders in alcoholism as a basis for a public health approach: Policy implications.- What can we expect from animal models in alcoholism research? Limitations and relevance to the human condition.- Alcoholism research: Crystal ball or wishful thinking.- Alcohol and cancer. Where do we stand and where should we go?.- Chronic alcoholism: Subtypes useful for therapy and research.