EFFECTS OF ETHANOL-CONSUMPTION ON ENRICHED NATURAL-KILLER-CELLS FROM C57BL 6 MICE/

Ethanol (20% w/v) given to female, C57BL/6 mice in their drinking wate r was previously shown to suppress natural killer (NK) cell cytolytic activity in a mixed splenocyte population. The present study was desig ned to examine the hypothesis that ethanol consumption independently r esults in inhibition of NK cell cytolytic activity. Mice were given 20 % w/v ethanol in the drinking water for 2 weeks, and splenic NK calls were enriched up to 88% based on surface expression of NK1.1. Cytolyti c activity of these freshly enriched NK cells from ethanol-consuming m ice against YAC-1 lymphoma cells was inhibited an average of 41% relat ive to water-drinking controls. Cytolytic activity of enriched NK cell s from ethanol-consuming mice was stimulated to levels equal to contro l water-drinking mice after 16- to 18-hr incubation in 1000 units/ml r ecombinant interleukin 2. These data indicate that in vitro cytolytic activity of NK cells from ethanol-consuming mice is inhibited in the a bsence of other modulatory leukocytes.