title: Alcohol-induced free radicals in mice: direct toxicants or signaling molecules?
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and free radicals are produced in early alcohol-induced liver injury. Recently, pathology caused by alcohol was blocked nearly completely in tumor necrosis factor alpha receptor 1 (TNF-R1) knockout mice. With this model, it is now possible to evaluate whether free radicals are directly toxic or act as redox regulators of TNF-alpha production. Specifically, if free radicals were directly toxic, a parallel decrease in free radicals and pathology in TNF-R1 knockout mice would be predicted. If they only affect TNF-alpha production, radicals would be expected to remain high while pathology is diminished. Accordingly, free radical production in TNF-R1 knockout mice was studied here. The enteral alcohol delivery model used mice lacking TNF-R1 (p55) and wild-type control C57Bl/6J mice. Animals received a liquid diet continuously with either ethanol or isocaloric maltose-dextrin as control for 4 weeks. Urine ethanol levels fluctuated from 10 to 500 mg/dL in a cyclic pattern in mice receiving ethanol. Ethanol elevated liver:body weight ratios, serum alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, and pathology scores in wild-type mice. These parameters were blunted nearly completely in TNF-R1 knockout mice. Ethanol treatment increased free radical production in wild-type mice compared with animals fed a high-fat control diet. There were no differences in intensity of free radical signals regardless of the presence or absence of TNF-R1; however, pathology differed markedly between these groups. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that free radicals act as redox signals for TNF-alpha production and do not directly damage cells in early alcohol-induced hepatic injury.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Hepatobiology and Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gäbele
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: B U
authors.initials: BU
authors.lastname: Bradford
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dikalova
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rusyn
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Thurman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics; D001646:Bile / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000652:urine; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000506:poisoning; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout / Q000235:genetics; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000235:genetics; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D012016:Reference Values; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D005609:Free Radicals; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D000431:Ethanol; D000637:Transaminases