Figure 1.

IFN-γ is diminished and IL-4 is enhanced in cultures derived from ethanol-consuming BALB/c mice immunized with FγG. BALB/c mice were fed solid diet, liquid control diet, or liquid ethanol diet and immunized 4 days later with 100 μg of FγG in CFA. On day 11 LN cells were assayed for FγG-specific proliferation and cytokine responses. IFN-γ (72 h) and IL-4 (48 h) were measured. Asterisks indicate a significant change in IFN-γ (P < 0.001) or IL4 (P < 0.005) production. Cytokine production in response to Con A stimulation was unaltered in cultures from ethanol-fed mice (data not shown). T cell proliferation was determined in 72-h cultures pulsed with 0.5 μCi per well of ³H-labeled TdR at 48 h. Optimal IL-2 production was measured at 48 h. No significant differences in T cell proliferative responses were seen. The slight increase in the liquid control diet proliferation, accompanied by a decrease in IL-2, can be attributed to the increased uptake of this autocrine growth factor by the liquid control diet cells.