Biochemical and biophysical changes in plasma and erythrocyte membranes of alcohol-consuming type 2 diabetics: a clinical study
Abstract
The effects of alcohol consumption on blood glucose levels are unpredictable , more so for an alcoholic Type 2 diabetic person. Since type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition with impairment of glucose metabolism, the influence of excess alcohol consumption in such a derailed metabolism ought to be investigated. We aimed to understand the interpolating relationship between the metabolisms of glucose and alcohol by investigating the biochemical and biophysical changes in plasma and erythrocytes, respectively. We performed a clinical study with 20 human non-alcoholic subjects, non-diabetics were considered as controls and the test subjects were categorized as alcoholics, people with diabetes and alcoholic diabetics. Findings were analyzed against the control group. Increased plasma AST, ALT, ALP, and LDH enzyme activity; higher levels of nitric oxide, thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) both in plasma and erythrocyte lysate; higher fasting and postprandial glucose, glycated hemoglobin levels (Hb1Ac); elevated levels of erythrocyte membrane total cholesterol/phospholipids (C/P) ratio and altered erythrocyte membrane fluidity in the alcoholic diabetics was noted. Alcohol induced oxidative and nitrosative stress during its metabolism and its worsening effects in people with type 2 diabetes leading to a failure in the overall metabolic homeostasis is evident from the study.