ALCOHOL-INDUCED CHANGES IN THE IMMUNE-RESPONSE - IMMUNOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF CHRONIC ETHANOL INTAKE ARE GENETICALLY REGULATED

Experimental evidence on the immunomodulating effects of ethanol is co ntradictory and, in animals, the immunological effects of long-term al cohol intake may depend on the age of animal, amount of alcohol consum ed, and nutritional composition of the administered diet. In this stud y, immunological effects of pair-feeding a 35% ethanol-containing Bio- Serv liquid diet for 6 weeks were evaluated using two major histocompa tibility complex (MHC)-compatible inbred strains of rats (F344 and LEW ). Food intake, rate of gain in body weight, and percentages of B cell s, T cells, and T cell subtypes were not affected by ethanol intake. A lso, proliferative responses of lymphocytes to T and B cell mitogens w ere similar in control and ethanol-fed groups of the two strains. Etha nol consumption had no significant influence on spleen weights and the antibody plaque-forming cell (PFC) response in F344 rats; however, in LEW rats, ethanol ingestion leads to a significant decrease (about 16 %; p < 0.012) in spleen weight and a > 75% reduction in the PFC respon se. These results suggest that a non-MHC-encoded gene(s) regulates the ethanol-mediated immunosuppression of the PFC response. Thus, LEW-F34 4 combination may provide an excellent model to characterize genetic f actors which determine sensitivity/resistance to immunological effects of ethanol ingestion. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.