Neutrophil activation by murine retroviral infection during chronic ethanol consumption.
OBJECTIVE
Neutrophil adhesion molecule CD11b and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are neutrophil activation markers for evaluating the functional activity of neutrophils. The aim of this study was to determine if neutrophils are activated in murine AIDS and/or chronic ethanol consumption and if neutrophil CD11b expression and ROS production vary when progressive retrovirus infection occurs.


METHODS
Four groups were studied: control, murine AIDS, ethanol and ethanol plus murine AIDS. Neutrophil activation was assessed by CD11b expression and ROS production using flow cytometry.


RESULTS
We found that neutrophils lost their responsiveness to fMLP due to retrovirus or ethanol exposure. In the murine AIDS group, neutrophil CD11b expression was up-regulated along with a significant increase in ROS after 1 month of retroviral infection. After 2 months, neutrophil CD11b and ROS decreased. However, neutrophil CD11b expression further increased after 3 months. In the ethanol consumption group, neutrophil CD11b expression was down-regulated after 2 months, whereas ROS production increased in the first and third months. In the murine AIDS plus ethanol group, there were significant increases in both ROS and CD11b expression during the 3-month observation period.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that neutrophil function is impaired by LP-BM5 retrovirus infection and/or chronic ethanol consumption. The pattern of neutrophil CD11b expression and ROS production might help to predict the stage of murine AIDS. Ethanol may further compromise neutrophil function in AIDS.
Chen
Yinhong
Y
Divison of Health Prevention Science, College of Public Health and Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery and The Sarver Heart Center, School of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
Mendoza
Sam
S
Davis-Gorman
Grace
G
Cohen
Zoë
Z
Gonzales
Raoul
R
Tuttle
Hillary
H
McDonagh
Paul F
PF
Watson
Ronald R
RR
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000276:immunology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D039481:CD11b Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016183:Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D018375:Neutrophil Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
D039481:CD11b Antigen; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D000431:Ethanol