Abstract
Abstract Chronic alcohol abuse and acute alcohol consumption (binge drinking) have been associated with suppression of immune function. Reduced phagocytic activity in macrophages and altered levels of inflammatory mediators have been reported in mammalian studies of ethanol exposure. To explore whether the zebrafish model could be valuable in understanding the effects of ethanol on innate immune activity, we assessed the activity of zebrafish phagocytes after acute exposure to ethanol in tank water. Experiments were conducted at different times of day to also determine whether effects of ethanol vary in a diurnal pattern. Treating wild-type AB strain fish with ethanol in the morning reduced the percentage of total phagocytic cells that ingested bacteria. The opposite results were observed in the evening, when a higher proportion of cells participated in phagocytosis compared to controls. To distinguish between the activity of macrophages and neutrophils, mpx:GFP zebrafish were also used. Exposure to ethanol in tank water resulted in a reduction in the amount of bacteria engulfed by neutrophils, whereas changes in macrophage phagocytic activity were not as evident. These initial results indicate that ethanol affects subsets of phagocytic cells differently, and that the effects may be time-of-day dependent.
Published Version
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