Abstract
Binge drinking, the most common form of alcohol consumption, is associated with increased mortality and morbidity; yet, its biological consequences are poorly defined. Previous studies demonstrated that chronic alcohol use results in increased gut permeability and increased serum endotoxin levels that contribute to many of the biological effects of chronic alcohol, including alcoholic liver disease. In this study, we evaluated the effects of acute binge drinking in healthy adults on serum endotoxin levels. We found that acute alcohol binge resulted in a rapid increase in serum endotoxin and 16S rDNA, a marker of bacterial translocation from the gut. Compared to men, women had higher blood alcohol and circulating endotoxin levels. In addition, alcohol binge caused a prolonged increase in acute phase protein levels in the systemic circulation. The biological significance of the in vivo endotoxin elevation was underscored by increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, TNFα and IL-6, and chemokine, MCP-1, measured in total blood after in vitro lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Our findings indicate that even a single alcohol binge results in increased serum endotoxin levels likely due to translocation of gut bacterial products and disturbs innate immune responses that can contribute to the deleterious effects of binge drinking.
Highlights
Alcohol binge drinking defined as more than 4 drinks consumed is the most frequent form of alcohol consumption worldwide
Animal models of chronic alcohol administration and human studies indicate that alcoholic liver disease is associated with increased endotoxin levels in the portal and systemic circulation and that endotoxin contributes to alcoholic steatohepatitis [3,6], interplay between endotoxin and binge drinking is not well understood
Acute alcohol binge resulted in Induction of acute phase proteins after an acute binge drink
Summary
Alcohol binge drinking defined as more than 4 drinks consumed is the most frequent form of alcohol consumption worldwide This drinking pattern is popular among underage drinkers and young adults leading to increased mortality and morbidity [1,2,3]. Animal models of chronic alcohol administration and human studies indicate that alcoholic liver disease is associated with increased endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS) levels in the portal and systemic circulation and that endotoxin contributes to alcoholic steatohepatitis [3,6], interplay between endotoxin and binge drinking is not well understood. Bacterial translocation and alterations in the gut microbiome are found in animal models of chronic alcohol consumption [8,9]. We tested the effects of acute binge drinking on serum endotoxin and bacterial 16S rDNA in normal human adults
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