alcohol's effects on our endocrine system

Subst Alcohol Actions Misuse 1983;4(2-3):97-110

Ethanol: its adverse effects upon the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

Gavaler JS, Urso T, Van Thiel DH.

Considerable evidence has accrued over the preceding two decades to establish that ethanol is a gonadal toxin. In the male such toxicity is both direct, being expressed at the level of the hypothalamus and/or pituitary. Moreover, such toxicity is due in part to direct ethanol exposure and also in part to the consequences of ethanol metabolism (e.g., acetaldehyde generation, redox changes and alterations in enzyme levels and activities). Thus as a result of studies performed both in man and in animals, it has been shown conclusively that ethanol abuse per se, and not the associated liver disease that occurs with alcohol abuse, is responsible for the impotence, loss of libido, and testicular atrophy which are seen commonly in chronic alcoholic men. With prolonged alcohol abstinence, recent studies have suggested that spontaneous recovery of normal sexual function is possible in some chronic alcoholic men if testicular atrophy has not yet occurred and if their responses to clomiphene and/or luteinizing hormone releasing factor stimulation are normal. In contrast, abstinent alcoholic men with either overt testicular atrophy or inadequate responses to such pharmacologic challenges fail to recover despite continued alcoholic abstinence. Such men will require either a penile prosthesis or long-term oral androgen therapy to achieve "acceptable" sexual functioning. Considerably less information is available concerning the adverse effects of ethanol and alcohol abuse in women. The available data however, suggests that women, like men, develop gonadal injury as a consequence of alcohol abuse and that such injury occurs both at the level of the ovary and at the level of the hypothalamus and pituitary.

great info Dr. Evil. I have a good friend that I am going to have read this. I hope it helps him understand.

i don't know about gout, but it does cause some water retention as a reaction to the dehydration and possibly the sodium that's in beer.

i think he meant gout and not gut, but if it's gut, then i'm way off lol.

Hey base here you go , Taken from web med text !!!!



What Is Gout?

A good introduction to gout - what it is, what causes it, and how it can be treated and prevented.



Gout is an acute and chronic inflammatory arthritis mainly occurring in thirty- to sixty-year-old men. Fewer than one in ten women suffer from gout. Estimates vary, but over 500,000 people have gout. We know that gout is caused by sodium monourate crystals that collect in the joint fluid, which can cause terrible pain and swelling of joints; the big toe is often severely afflicted. One indication of gout is that too much uric acid is produced by the body or too little is excreted by the kidneys; either condition results in too much uric acid in the body, including the joints. There is also a related disease, pseudogout, which is in the same disease family but linked to another chemical in the body called calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD).

Many associated events can trigger an acute episode, including high blood pressure, excessive drinking, being overweight, and even love of foods rich in purines (proteins that are important sources of uric acid) such as glandular meats (sweetbreads), wine, anchovies, beer, and gravies. Stress or an associated illness can also trigger an attack.

One of the primary symptoms of gout is lumps under the skin, called tophi, around the elbows, heels, or ears. These are caused by urate crystals which fill the lumps. The diagnosis of gout is made by looking at the crystals under a microscope that are taken either from joint fluid or from a tophus.

The treatment of gout is a great success story. By controlling the level of uric acid with medicines, and using NSAIDs to reduce the pain of an acute attack, doctors have been able to achieve a high success rate. Colchicine is used as a primary way to reduce attacks and is taken propylactically by mouth. Another great advance was the discovery of ways to control the level of uric acid in the blood, thereby reducing gout attacks. If a gout sufferer is an overproducer of uric acid, doctors use a medicine called allopurinol (Zyloprim) that blocks the production of uric acid. If too little uric acid is being excreted by the kidneys, medicines are given that increase excretion in the urine, such as probenecid (Benemid) and sulfinpyrazone (Anturane).

The outlook for gout sufferers is excellent if they stick to a serious regimen of weight control, eat sensibly, refrain from excessive alcohol, and take the medicines as prescribed by the doctor.

good post dr. evil,

I laugh evertime I read your signature, can't wait for the next movie :D