Wernicke- Korsakoff syndrome, in short, WKS, is a disorder of the brain. It is also called the wet brain. It is the combination of 2 disorders: Wernicke Encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome. The former is caused due to the lack of intake of thiamine in the system, and the latter due to alcohol abuse. However, both the disorders are cured by a balanced intake of thiamine if treated early.
WKS-Symptoms
Body ache, weak muscles, rapid and irregular eye movements, confusion, memory problems, sleeplessness are the main symptoms. The easiest way to determine the complex disorder is through another disease- berri berri, associated with the syndrome.
How is thiamine deficiency caused?
The lack of thiamine in the body could be due to poor diet and cancer of the digestive system that prevents the absorption of the vitamin. Due to certain surgical obligations, doctors may restrict the diet for an extended period or AIDS. Intake of huge amounts of alcohol prevents the absorption of thiamine in the small intestine as it inhibits the gene that helps in the production of the thiamine transporter molecules.
Source of Glucose in nature
Glucose is the 6 carbon molecular compound that is the source of energy for all eukaryotic beings. Produced in the autotrophs, the green plants provide energy to the animals who consume them. For animals that consume other animals, the nutrients are transferred. This is called the food chain. Man is part of the food chain and is at the top of it.
How is ATP produced from glucose?
Glucose is broken into 2 molecules of pyruvate in the cell's mitochondria and is ultimately converted into Acetyl CoA through aldol condensation. This enters the series the reactions in the Krebs cycle. One of the by-products of the cycle is ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)., the chemical packet of energy. When the bonds of phosphorus are broken, the energy is released.
Role of thiamine as a cofactor
Thiamine is on the vitamins of the Vitamin B complex group, commonly known as B1; it is essential for glucose metabolism and the preservation of the nerve system. Thiamine Pyrophosphate, known as TPP, is the metabolically active chemical of Thiamine and acts as a cofactor for various enzymes like trans ketolase and pyruvate dehydrogenase, alpha Keto dehydrogenase. Cofactors make the enzymes very much active by helping them without binding with them. The Krebs cycle, commonly known as the citric acid cycle, is an important set of reactions that binds carbohydrates, proteins, and lipid metabolism.
The absence of thiamine interrupts Krebs's cycle.
The deficiency of this important cofactor, thiamine pyrophosphate, interrupts the Krebs cycle at the intermediate stage when the alpha glutarate has to be acted on to produce Succinyl- CoA and NAD ( Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) as the enzymes alpha-ketoglutarate trans-succinytase remains inefficient and diactivated due to the deficiency of the vitamin. This step is crucial before the energy packet of the cell ATP is generated.
Interrupted Krebs cycle leads to inadequate ATP in the system
ATP breaks down into ADP and an inorganic Phosphate and releases energy. Due to the interruptions in the Krebs cycle, the ATP is not adequately generated. This leads to a lack of energy in the body, tiredness, and an unstable gait.
Inadequate ATP in the brain kills the nerve cells.
The brain never sleeps. It is always active. It always needs a steady amount of energy. ATP is essential for brain functions. Glucose is one of the components for producing neurotransmitters, and ATP functions as a signaling agent. The brain cannot store fats for energy but needs a constant supply of it even when asleep. Lack of ATP makes the signaling process inefficient and allows the slow death of the neurons. This leads to degeneration of the brain.
Cure for WKS syndrome
Clinically, approved oral or intravenous administration of thiamine is the way forward to treat it. However, in milder cases eating fish, eggs, meats, and green vegetables are the best way to replenish the body with thiamine. Of course, alcohol should be avoided during the treatment.
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