Abstract

His- torical accounts of alcohol administration to patients with breathing problems suggest that alcohol may have bronchodilating properties. We hypothesized that acute alcohol exposure will alter airway responsiveness (AR) in mice. To test this hypothesis, C57BL/6 mice were fed either 20% alcohol in drinking water (fed) or received a single intraperitoneal (ip) injection of alcohol (3 g/kg). Control groups received regular drinking water or ip saline. AR was assessed by means of ventilation or barometric plethysmography and reported as either total lung resistance or enhanced pause for each group of mice. To confirm alcohol exposure, elevated blood alcohol levels were documented. Alcohol feeding significantly blocked metha-choline-triggered AR compared with water-fed controls. Comparable blunting of AR was also accomplished through a single ip injection of alcohol when compared with saline-injected controls. The alcohol response was slowly reversible in both routes of administration after withdrawal of alcohol: AR attenuation by alcohol persisted 12-20 h (ip) or up to 2 wk (fed) after blood alcohol cleared consistent with a sustained bronchodilator effect. These data demonstrate that brief alcohol exposure blunts AR in this murine model of alcohol exposure suggesting a role for alcohol in the modulation of bronchial motor tone.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)L109-L114
JournalAmerican Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology
Volume296
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2009

Keywords

  • Bronchodilator effect
  • Enhanced pause
  • Penh

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology
  • Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
  • Physiology (medical)
  • Cell Biology

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