ALCOHOL INHIBITS CELL MITOSIS IN G(2)-M PHASE IN CELL-CYCLE IN A HUMAN-LYMPHOCYTES IN-VITRO STUDY

Alcohol abuse is associated with the loss of immunocompetence, which l eads to decreasing resistance to infections. No single mechanism can b e accountable for the detrimental effects of alcohol on the body's def ense mechanism. We present data demonstrating that, in cultured lympho cytes, 10-40 mM alcohol in the media caused 18-90% decrease in cell mi tosis (p < 0.001). There was a linear decrease in cell mitosis upto 40 mM alcohol; at 100 mM cell mitosis virtually ceased. This study aimed to determine in which phase of the cell cycle did alcohol mediate its effects. The results showed that DNA synthesis was not affected with up to 50 mM alcohol, suggesting that G(1)-S phase in the cell cycle re mained unaffected. At 100 mM alcohol, DNA synthesis decreased signific antly (p < 0.01). From the results of this study, we conclude that a s ubpharmacological dose level of alcohol (10 mM) significantly inhibite d cell mitosis and the inhibitory effect of alcohol was mediated in th e G(2)-M phase in the cell cycle. The G(1)-S phase was unaffected.