El Efecto del Etanol sobre la Dopamina: Un Análisis Cuántico de la Adicción

The consumption of ethanol and its profound implications for public health represent a significant global challenge. In Mexico, the presence of alcohol in daily life dates back to pre-Hispanic times as a central element in celebrations and social rituals. The objective of this research was to analyze the interactions of ethanol and dopamine to observe the addiction to this alcohol in humans using in sillico quantum chemistry. Hyperchem software was used for all quantum calculations. For characterization, the HOMO, LUMO, and multipole electrostatic potential were calculated. For multipole electrostatic potential, vector sums were performed to obtain the resultant. The result showed a greater affinity when ethanol acts as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor or antioxidant. However, ethanol's function as an oxidant is observed when the amount of ethanol ingested by the patient increases. In conclusion, ethanol loses its antioxidant properties and becomes an oxidant, affecting pure neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, GABA, histamine, and glycine when consumed excessively.