title: Induction of buccal mucosal apoptosis with chronic alcohol ingestion.
abstract: In this study we investigated buccal mucosal cells apoptosis and the expression of regulatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-4(IL-4) with chronic ethanol ingestion. The buccal mucosa of rats maintained for 23 days on alcohol-containing and control liquid diet was assessed for IL-4 and TNF-alpha content, and the extent of epithelial cells apoptosis. While the expression of TNF-alpha in alcohol diet group showed a significant increase (1.9-fold) over that of the controls, less apparent differences between the two groups were observed in the content of IL-4 (141.8 +/- 28.2 vs. 119.8 +/- 7.3 pg/mg protein). The DNA fragmentation assays revealed that alcohol diet group also exhibited a 3.5-fold enhancement in buccal mucosal cells apoptosis. Moreover, the apoptotic index showed positive correlation (r = 0.53) with the extent of induced changes in TNF-alpha. These results demonstrate that ethanol-induced buccal mucosal cells apoptosis is triggered by the enhancement in TNF-alpha expression.
authors.affiliation: Research Center, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark 07103-2400, USA.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Slomiany
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piotrowski
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piotrowski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slomiany
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D000431:Ethanol