Ethanol has a significant effect on several signaling pathways. The proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine cascades are attenuated by drinking through a variety of pathways, including the MAPK pathway [42]. Ethanol also downregulates p38 MAPK levels [62]. Chemokine receptors, which detect chemokines that are formed through proinflammatory stimuli such as TNFα, are G protein coupled receptors (GPCR). GPCRs are known to be implicated in neurodegeneration, Alzheimer’s disease, and inflammation, all of which are affected by alcohol consumption [63]. Ethanol can also attenuate immune responses through increased macrophage and monocyte TGF-β levels, thus lowering proinflammatory cytokine levels [64] and promoting macrophage apoptosis [65]. There is strong evidence that ethanol affects these pathways through inflammation or the immune response.
