Ethanol inhibits skeletal muscle cell proliferation and delays its differentiation in cell culture

Chronic ingestion of ethanol (EtOH) produces physiological and morphologica l alterations in skeletal muscle. The effects of EtOH on skeletal muscle ha ve been studied in experimental animals or on biopsies from alcoholic patie nts. However, alterations in skeletal muscle from alcoholic patients could be secondary to the effects of EtOH on the nervous system. In this study, b y assaying the action of EtOH on primary skeletal muscle cell cultures, we provide evidence of its direct effect on skeletal muscle proliferation and differentiation. The results indicate that EtOH: (1) significantly inhibits skeletal muscle cell proliferation at the beginning of the proliferation p hase; (2) delays skeletal muscle differentiation, shown by the significant changes in the evolution of the percentage of the creatine kinase isozymes; (3) has no significant effect on skeletal muscle DNA or protein content du ring the proliferation phase.