Dexamethasone decreased SFRP2 expression, but ethanol, 10 and 30 mmol/L, increased SFRP2 gene expression in a dose-dependent manner by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction. Dexamethasone and ethanol, 10 and 30 mmol/L, decreased LRP5 and Wnt 3a gene expression. The data are consistent with our first hypothesis.