Influence of ethanol on human T-lymphocyte migration.
Because ethanol consumption is associated with increased susceptibility to infection, we examined the effects of ethanol and its metabolite acetaldehyde on human T-lymphocyte migration, an important functional component of cellular inflammatory responses. With a modified Boyden chamber system, ethanol at 0.25% and 0.50% (vol/vol) inhibited spontaneous motility of human T-lymphocytes, in a noncytotoxic manner, to 65% +/- 7% (mean +/- SEM) and 62% +/- 7% of control values of migration, respectively. When T-lymphocyte migration was stimulated by colchicine (10(-5) mol/L), incubation with ethanol (0.25% and 0.50%, vol/vol) decreased migration to 80% +/- 4% and 66% +/- 8% of control values, respectively. Similar degrees of inhibition of migration were obtained with acetaldehyde at concentrations five to 10 times less than ethanol. Ethanol was similarly capable of inhibiting T cell migration induced by dibutyryl cyclic guanosine monophosphate, but it had no effect on stimulated migration induced by a human chemokinetic lymphokine. Our study demonstrates that ethanol, at concentrations achievable in vivo, is capable of depressing T-lymphocyte migration. This effect might contribute to the immunosuppression associated with ethanol consumption.
D000079:Acetaldehyde / Q000494:pharmacology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D019744:Chemokines, C; D003078:Colchicine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000494:pharmacology; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
D019744:Chemokines, C; D008222:Lymphokines; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; C092390:XCL1 protein, human; C018997:lymphotactin; D000431:Ethanol; D000079:Acetaldehyde; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D003078:Colchicine