title: Ethanol consumption and the susceptibility of mice to Listeria monocytogenes infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is well known that excessive alcohol consumption correlates with increased infectious disease. However, the molecular microbiological and immunological bases for ethanol-induced alterations in host defense are largely unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  To study the effect of alcohol consumption on the pathogenesis of intracellular bacteria, we examined the relative susceptibility of alcohol-fed mice to a virulent strain of Listeria monocytogenes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on lethal dose 50% determinations, survival curve analysis, and bacterial burden, alcohol consumption did not increase the susceptibility of C57BL/6, BALB/c, or A/J mice to systemic infection by strain EGD. Mice fed an ethanol-containing liquid diet showed slightly reduced susceptibility to Listeria. Alcohol consumption modestly decreased bacterial numbers in the spleen but not the liver. We also found that mice fed a typical solid diet were more sensitive to EGD infection than were animals fed a control liquid-containing diet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that alcohol consumption may not always increase infectious disease progression.
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611-3010, USA.
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Salerno
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Waltenbaugh
authors: N P
authors: NP
authors: Cianciotto
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005260:Female; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000276:immunology*; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology*; D016019:Survival Analysis