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Effect of Maternal Ethanol Consumption on in Vitro Tumor Necrosis Factor, Interleukin‐6 and Interleukin‐2 Production by Rat Milk and Blood Leukocytes
Author(s) -
Na Hyung R.,
Seelig Leonard L.
Publication year - 1994
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.1530-0277.1994.tb00032.x
Subject(s) - concanavalin a , cytokine , tumor necrosis factor alpha , stimulation , interleukin 10 , lipopolysaccharide , interleukin , biology , endocrinology , medicine , immunology , lactation , andrology , in vitro , biochemistry , pregnancy , genetics
It has been shown that the transfer of immunity via lactation plays an important role in providing eariy protection to the neonate. Maternal ethanol consumption also results in a reduced transfer of immunity to their neonates against a Trichinella spiralis infection. Because of the known presence of cytokines in milk and their important role in inflammation, we tested the effects of maternal ethanol consumption on cytokine production by milk and blood cells from T. spiralis ‐ infected rats. With T. spiralis antigen, Concanavalin A (Con A) or lipopolysaccharide stimulation, milk cells from both ethanol‐treated and pair‐fed groups were capable of producing tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)‐6 and IL‐2. There were no differences between groups for TNF or IL‐6 production by milk cells. Milk cells from the ethanol group produced a significantly higher amount of IL‐2 upon Con A stimulation, as compared with that from the pair‐fed group (16 ± 4 units/10 6 cells vs. 4 ± 1 units/10 6 cells, p < 0.05). After stimulation with Con A, blood cells from the ethanol group produced significantly lower amounts of TNF (17 ± 15 units/10 6 cells) than that from the pair‐fed group (102 ± 64 units/10 6 cells, p < 0.05). The amount of TNF and IL‐6 produced by milk cells was significantly lower, as compared with that produced by blood cells. This study suggests that ethanol consumption has some modulatory effects on cytokine production by milk and blood cells.