Premium
Suppression of Natural Killer Cell Activity by Ethanol Consumption and Food Restriction
Author(s) -
Blank S. E.,
Duncan D. A.,
Meadows G. G.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1991.tb00514.x
Subject(s) - consumption (sociology) , natural (archaeology) , ethanol , food science , natural food , food consumption , chemistry , biology , biochemistry , agricultural economics , economics , art , paleontology , aesthetics
Effects of 4‐week food restriction and ethanol consumption on natural killer (NK) cell activity and carcass composition were evaluated. Female, C57BL/6 mice given water (H 2 O) or ethanol (20% w/v, ETOH) ad libitum were placed in one of three dietary groups: unrestricted (UNR), moderately restricted (MR, 2.2 g/day), or severely restricted (SR, 1.8 g/day). Food restriction alone (MR, SR) significantly reduced body, spleen, and thymus weights; carcass lipid content (SR only); spleen cell number; and baseline and interleukin‐2 (rlL‐2) stimulated NK cell activities. Ethanol consumption was unaffected by food restriction and in restricted mice it did not suppress food intake. Thus, average calories derived from ethanol increased from 30% (UNR) to 40% (SR) with the degree of food restriction in these groups. Mice given ethanol and restricted food intake had at least as heavy or heavier body, spleen, and thymus weights than water‐drinking (H 2 O) counterparts. Spleen cell number was reduced in ethanol‐consuming (ETOH), food restricted groups compared with UNR H 2 O control. Baseline NK cell activity was suppressed 50% to 90% in all ETOH and food‐restricted groups. rlL‐2 stimulated NK cell activity was suppressed 18% to 76% in food restricted mice independent of ethanol intake. These results indicate that supplementary ethanol calories did not enhance NK cell activity in UNR ETOH mice, nor did they protect splenic NK cell activity from the suppressant effects of food restriction. Ethanol consumption significantly increased carcass lipid content in all groups compared with their H 2 O counterparts. This increase was largely responsible for the preservation of body weight in ETOH mice especially during food restriction. Therefore, caution must be exercised when using body weight as an indicator of nutritional status for ETOH mice.