Acute thanol effect on chemotaxis and other components of host defense.

The effect of alcohol on granulocyte chemotaxis was studies with a radioactive assaysystem. Chemotaxis was inhibited in vitro by concentrations of alcohol above 400 mg. per cent when present during all steps in the assay, but levels above 800 mg. per cent required for inhibition when alcohol was present only during the granulocyte incubation. No inhibition of chemotactic factor generation was found with alcohol concentration up to 1,500 mg. per cent. Cells and serum exposed to alcohol in vivo by acute intxication of donors demonstrated normal in vitro chemotactic performance, even when the assay itself was carried out in medium containing 200 mg. of alcohol. Thestudies do not exclude alcohol's in vivo induction of an inhibitor which must remain present during chemotaxis for inhibition; nor would they have detected an impairment of chemotaxis occurring after the peak blood alcohol concentration. The intoxicated volunteer subjects were also evaluated for changes in delayed hypersensitivity, serum complement concentration, granulocyte hexose monophosphate shunt activity, and circulating whiteblood cell counts; no consistent changes were seen.