Acute ethanol treatment decreases intracellular calcium-ion transients in mouse single skeletal muscle fibres in vitro

Alcohol misuse frequently leads to muscle weakness, which may also occur in the setting of acute and chronic alcoholic myopathies. At the cellular lev el, ethanol has been found to interfere with signalling mechanisms in cardi ac myocytes, skeletal myotubes, and smooth muscle cells. In this study, we focused on the effects of ethanol on the intracellular calcium ([Ca2+](i)) transients responsible for excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in isolated mouse skeletal fibres loaded with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura-2. F ollowing electrical stimulation, ethanol caused a significant reversible do se-dependent reduction in [Ca2+](i) transient amplitude, already significan t at 100 mM ethanol (P = 0.03), without modifying resting [Ca2+](i). Evalua ting the potential loci for the effects of ethanol, we indirectly measured sarcolemmal Ca2+ entry by monitoring Mn2+-quenching of intracellular fura-2 via the nitrendipine-sensitive Ca2+ channels during electrical pacing. Eth anol at doses of 20 mM and greater caused a dose-dependent reduction in the rate of fura-2 quenching (all at P < 0.05). Moreover, the intracellular po ol of Ca2+ releasable by caffeine was found to be reduced at a minimum of 3 00 mM ethanol (P = 0.05). We conclude that ethanol reduces the [Ca2+](i) tr ansients underlying EC coupling in single mouse skeletal muscle fibres. Thi s acute effect of ethanol was primarily due to an inhibitory effect of etha nol on sarcolemmal Ca2+ influx via voltage-operated Ca2+-channels and, to a lesser extent, to a reduction in the Ca2+ sarcoplasmic reticulum loading s tate. This inhibitory effect of ethanol may be implicated in the developmen t of muscle weakness with alcohol consumption.