Ethanol rapidly inhibits IL-6-activated STAT3 and C/EBP mRNA expression in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes.

The ability of ethanol to inhibit regenerative processes in the liver is thought to play a key role in the development of alcoholic liver disease. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we investigated the effects of ethanol on the Janus kinasesignal transducer and activator transcription factor (JAK-STAT) signaling pathways in hepatocytes. Treatment of freshly isolated adult rat hepatocytes with 10-100 mM ethanol rapidly (< 3 min) inhibits interleukin-6 (IL-6)-induced STAT3 activation, tyrosine and serine phosphorylation and IL-6-induced CCAAT enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) alpha and beta mRNA expression. Western analyses, in vitro kinase assays and in vivo cell labelling assays indicate that this inhibitory effect is not due to blocking the upstream-located JAK1, JAK2 or Tyk2 activation. On the contrary, acute ethanol exposure significantly potentiates IL-6-induced JAK1 autophosphorylation in vitro and in vivo. Pretreatment with sodium vanadate, a non-selective tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, or with MG132 and lactacystin, proteasome inhibitors, does not abolish the ethanol inhibition of IL-6-induced STAT3 activation, suggesting that activation of protein tyrosine phosphatases or the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is not involved. In view of the critical role of IL-6 signaling in liver regeneration, these findings suggest that the ability of biologically relevant concentrations of ethanol to markedly inhibit IL-6-induced STAT3 phosphorylation is one of the cellular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis and progression of alcoholic liver diseases.