Ethanol binging enhances hepatic microvascular responses to acetaminophen in mice.
OBJECTIVE
Chronic alcoholism has been considered to be a risk for acetaminophen (APAP) hepatotoxicity, but little is known about the effect of binge alcohol drinking on APAP-induced liver injury. The present study was conducted to examine the effect of ethanol binging on APAP-induced hepatic microcirculatory dysfunction.


METHODS
Male C57Bl/6 mice received 3 weekly ethanol binges (4 g/kg every 12 h x 5 doses/ week) or water binges. At 12 h after the last gavage, APAP (300 mg/kg) was given by oral gavage. In one group of mice, gadolinium chloride (GdCl3, 10 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered 2 and 1 days before the start of each weekly ethanol binge.


RESULTS
Ethanol binging enhanced APAP-induced liver injury as indicated by ALT levels. Intravital microscopic study showed that APAP further increased the area occupied by infiltrated erythrocytes into the extrasinusoidal space as well as Kupffer cell phagocytic activity in ethanol-binged mice when compared with water-binged mice, while no significant differences in sinusoidal perfusion and leukocyte adhesion were observed. ALT levels after APAP were exacerbated in ethanol-binged mice treated with GdCl3, but APAP-induced hepatic microcirculatory dysfunction was not changed significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that ethanol binging increases APAP-induced liver injury by exacerbating infiltration of the Disse space with blood cells. Kupffer cells exert a protective role in the liver against APAP intoxication following ethanol binging.
Ito
Yoshiya
Y
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724-5044, USA.
Abril
Edward R
ER
Bethea
Nancy W
NW
McCuskey
Robert S
RS
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000633:toxicity*; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000082:Acetaminophen; D000410:Alanine Transaminase