title: A low blood ethanol level is associated with improved cytokine production in aged mice after traumatic injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many trauma patients have been consuming alcohol at the time of injury. Although high concentrations of alcohol are correlated with poor outcome, few studies have examined the effects of low levels of alcohol. We examined the effects of low alcohol exposure after burn injury using a murine model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three- and 18-month-old mice were given ethanol or saline 30 minutes before a 15% total body surface area burn injury. Twenty-four hours after injury, cellular immune responses, including delayed-type hypersensitivity response and splenocyte proliferation were examined, along with production of interferon-gamma, interleukin (IL)-2, and IL-4.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcohol administration resulted in a significant increase in interferon-gamma in the aged, but not young, burn-injured mice. Likewise, slight increases in IL-2, IL-4, and the delayed-type hypersensitivity response were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low levels of ethanol at the time of injury are associated with partial restoration of immune responses in aged mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, 60513, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Plackett
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jarrett
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gamelli
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kovacs
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015847:Interleukin-4; D000431:Ethanol; D007371:Interferon-gamma