A low blood ethanol level is associated with improved cytokine production in aged mice after traumatic injury.
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.
Plackett
Timothy P
TP
Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, 60513, USA.
Jarrett
Jennifer
J
Gamelli
Richard L
RL
Kovacs
Elizabeth J
EJ
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
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015847:Interleukin-4; D000431:Ethanol; D007371:Interferon-gamma