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(Journal of Leukocyte Biology. 2005;78:1070-1080.)
© 2005 by Society for Leukocyte Biology

Chronic alcohol consumption in mice increases the proportion of peripheral memory T cells by homeostatic proliferation

Cancer Prevention and Research Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Washington State University, Pullman

¹Correspondence: Cancer Prevention and Research Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Washington State University, Box 646713, 334 Wegner Hall on Stadium Way, Pullman, WA 99164-6713. E-mail: meadows{at}wsu.edu

This study examined the mechanism underlying the increase of peripheral memory phenotype T cells that occurs during chronic alcohol consumption in mice. Female C57BL/6 mice were given 20% (w/v) alcohol in the drinking water for 2 weeks to 6 months. Chronic alcohol consumption significantly induced peripheral T cell lymphopenia; up-regulated expression of CD44 on T cells and increased the percentage of CD4⁺CD44^int/hi and CD8⁺CD44^int/hi Ly6C⁺ T cells; up-regulated the expression of CD43 on CD8⁺ T cells; increased the percentage of interferon--producing T cells; decreased the percentage of CD8⁺CD28⁺ T cells; and down-regulated the expression of CD28 on CD4⁺ T cells. Expression of CD25 and CD69 on peripheral CD8⁺ T cells was not affected and inconsistently expressed on CD4⁺ T cells. Neither cell type showed altered expression of CD137 or CD153. Alcohol withdrawal did not abrogate the increase in CD8⁺Ly6C⁺cells induced by alcohol consumption. In vivo bromodeoxyuridine incorporation experiments demonstrated that chronic alcohol consumption decreases naïve T cells that are presumed to have emigrated from the thymus and increases proliferation of memory T cells, but accelerates peripheral T cell turnover. Together these results indicate that chronic alcohol consumption results in T cell lymphopenia, which in turn induces T cell homeostatic proliferation that increases the proportion of peripheral memory T cells relative to naïve T cells.

Key Words: immune • turnover • alcohol • memory • T cells • homeostatic proliferation

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