title: The influence of age on blood alcohol levels and ethanol-associated immunosuppression in a murine model of ethanol consumption.
abstract: Several study findings indicate that with ethanol ingestion a number of changes occur in the immune system. We studied the effects of ethanol consumption on mice at various ages. We used a murine model in which young (age 6-8 weeks), middle-aged (age 12 months), and old (age 24 months) male C57Bl/6 mice were pair-fed either a Leiber-DeCarli liquid diet containing 7% (v/v) ethanol or an isocaloric control diet. Consumption of ethanol diet for 8 days resulted in high blood alcohol levels in young and old mice; low levels were observed in middle-aged mice. Middle-aged mice consumed more ethanol than did either young or old mice and had the lowest percent body weight loss of all three age groups. Proliferation of spleen lymphocytes to T-cell stimuli (concanavalin A and alloantigens) in both young and old mice fed ethanol was diminished. T-cell function was unchanged in middle-aged mice consuming an ethanol diet when compared with that observed in age-matched mice pair-fed control diet. No effect of ethanol on proliferation to lipopolysaccharide was noted in any group. Proliferative response of T cells to soluble anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody was also decreased in middle-aged and old pair-fed control mice when compared with young control mice. The proliferative response to soluble anti-CD3 in all three age groups of mice fed ethanol, however, was not significantly affected by ethanol consumption.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors: Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Domiati-Saad
authors: T R
authors: TR
authors: Jerrells
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000276:immunology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol