Several reports have presented results that demonstrate suppression of the
immune system by ethanol. Using a hybridoma cell model, we studied the effe
cts of ethanol on cell proliferation and on the production of immunoglobuli
n M (IgM) antibodies. The number of cells decreased while incubated with as
little as 25 mM ethanol but not in a clonal subline incapable of IgM produ
ction, indicative of an increased vulnerability associated with the antibod
y-producing machinery. Levels of antibodies in cell culture supernatants we
re monitored by mu -heavy-chain-specific and K-light-chain-specific enzyme-
linked immunosorbent assays, We found a significant decrease in antibody co
ncentration at 200 mM ethanol compared with findings for nonexposed cells.
In addition, lower K-chain compared with mu -chain values were monitored at
ethanol concentrations of 50 mM and higher. This difference suggests irreg
ular composition of the antibodies in the supernatant. Determination of IgM
levels within the hybridoma cells revealed a linear increase in antibody c
oncentrations by as much as three times the control levels with increasing
ethanol concentrations when correlated with cell numbers, Analysis of the m
RNA levels of two ethanol-inducible stress proteins, the 78-kilodalton gluc
ose-regulated protein (GRP78) and the 70-kilodalton heat-shock protein (HSC
70), by quantitative Northern hybridization yielded increased mRNA in a non
linear fashion. The results demonstrate that ethanol impairs IgM compositio
n, whereas antibody production within hybridoma cells is increased and the
assembling machinery is activated, indicating compensating processes. (C) 2
001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.