Ethanol inhibits mitogen-induced calcium mobilization in mouse splenocytes

Ethanol inhibited the mitogen-induced initial increase in cytoplasmic free-calcium [Ca2+]i in mouse splenocytes. This effect was concentration-dependent, reversible, and observed at pharmacologically relevant concentrations (24-166mM). Other short-chain alcohols such as propanol, butanol, and pentanol also inhibited this mitogen-induced increase in [Ca2+]i. The potencies of these alcohols to produce this effect were highly correlated (r = 0.98, p less than 0.001) with their membrane/buffer partition coefficients. Analysis of mouse splenocyte subpopulations demonstrated that this effect was manifest in both B and T lymphocytes. Within T lymphocyte subpopulations, both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were affected. These results suggest that the inhibition of [Ca2+]i increase may be an early event mediating ethanol-induced immunosuppression and that this may be a predisposing factor to infection and malignancies associated with alcoholism.