Evaluation of ethanol effects on PLC signal transduction pathways using cell lines of neuronal origin

Human neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y and neuroblastoma-glioma cells NG 108-15 have been used as models for the elucidation of the effects of ethanol on receptor-mediated phospholipase C activity, c-fos mRNA expression and protein kinase C activity. Cells were exposed to ethanol (0-200 mM) for varying periods up to seven days. Agonist stimulated events were obtained in NG 108-15 cells with bradykinin and in SH-SY5Y cells with carbachol. Chronic ethanol exposure reduced the agonist-stimulated formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in NG 108-15 cells and in SH-SY5Y cells. 100 mM ethanol for seven days increased the membrane bound and cytosolic forms of protein kinase C activity in SH-SY5Y cells. Carbachol (1 mM) induced a maximal c-fos mRNA response after 40 minutes in SH-SY5Y cells, an effect that could be mimicked through protein kinase C stimulation by phorbol esters.