Most people relate to the body’s immune system in terms of fighting off colds, however, new research from the University of Adelaide seems to indicate that immune cells in the brain may contribute to how people respond to alcohol.

Research leader Dr Mark Hutchinson from the University’s School of Medical Sciences said:

“It’s amazing to think that despite 10,000 years of using alcohol, and several decades of investigation into the way that alcohol affects the nerve cells in our brain, we are still trying to figure out exactly how it works.”

The effect of alcohol on nerve cells is scientifically well known, however evidence is accumulating that alcohol also triggers rapid changes in the brain’s immune system. Difficulty in controlling muscles involved in walking and talking is one of the well-known alcohol-related behavioral changes in the body’s immune response.

The British Journal of Pharmacology published Dr Hutchinson’s team research in which a single shot of alcohol was given to laboratory mice to study the effect of blocking Toll-like receptors to study behavioral changes induced by alcohol. Toll-like receptors are specific elements of the immune system that were blocked with the use of drugs. The effects on alcohol induced mice with genetic alterations, e.g. which lacked functions of selected receptors, were also examined.

The study outcome revealed that the effects of alcohol were reduced when this part of the immune system was blocked either by using drugs or genetically. Although the research used mice as test subjects, Hutchinson’s team suggests that similar treatments could also work in humans.

According to Hutchinson:

“Medications targeting Toll-like receptor 4 may prove beneficial in treating alcohol dependence and acute overdoses.”

Because the response is both – an immunological and neuronal response – this research offers an important insight into understanding the way alcohol affects us.

The responses have significant implications; they could be the key to establishing which people are at greater risk of developing brain damage after long-term consumption of alcohol and can help to identify those who may have bad outcomes after drinking alcohol.

Petra Rattue