RAT PERIPHERAL-BLOOD NEUTROPHIL LEUKOCYTES IN CHRONIC EXPERIMENTAL ALCOHOLISM - A MORPHOLOGIC AND FUNCTIONAL-ANALYSIS

In view of the presumed increased susceptibility of chronic alcoholics to infectious diseases, the influence of alcohol in vivo on some rat neutrophil cytochemical properties, such as chemotaxis, phagocytosis a nd ultrastructural morphology was investigated. Our observations sugge sted that chronic ingestion of large quantities of alcohol suppresses alkaline phosphatase, naphthol ASD chloracetate esterase, beta-glucuro nidase and lysosyme enzymes in the peripheral blood neutrophils and at the same time enhances acid phosphatase but did not affect myeloperox idase enzymes. In experimental rats the cytochemical scores of bacteri cidal cationic proteins and glycogen were reduced in circulating neutr ophils, but the phospholipid score was increased. Phagocytic function, such as endocytosis, as well as reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium dy e were not impaired by exposure to alcohol, but alcohol intoxication c aused poor chemotactic activity (both spontaneous migration and chemot actic response). Ultrastructural changes were observed in mitochondria , such as clumping, elongation, swelling and disruption of cristae, as well as changes in the topographic distribution of cristae, as well a s changes in the topographic distribution of granules in the cytoplasm . For example, cytoplasmic areas with numerous granules were registere d together with other areas with a smaller number or without any granu les. There was general distortion and widening of the cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum. The neutrophils of ethanol - treated rats were atrophic. These results suggest that a combination of morphological a nd dysfunctional changes in neutrophils may be responsible for some of the immunological alterations observed in chronic alcoholics.