This increased susceptibility has been recapitulated in rodent models of chronic alcohol abuse. For instance, increased morbidity and mortality, pulmonary virus titers, and decreased pulmonary influenza-specific CD8 T cell responses were reported in female mice infected with influenza that consumed 20% (w/v) ethanol in their drinking water for 4–8 weeks (Meyerholz, Edsen-Moore et al. 2008). Likewise, higher pathogen burden and decreased CD8 T cell immunity was observed in female mice administered ethanol at 15% (w/v) for 5 days and challenged with Listeria monocytogenes (Gurung, Young et al. 2009). Similar results have been seen in SIV infection of male nonhuman primates (Bagby, Stoltz et al. 2003, Molina, McNurlan et al. 2006, Poonia, Nelson et al. 2006, Marcondes, Watry et al. 2008). Significantly lower protein and mRNA levels of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC), responsible for recruiting immune cells to the lung during early infection as well as delayed neutrophil recruitment were also observed in response to Streptococcus pneumoniae or LPS-induced endotoxemia in male Sprague Dawley rats intraperitoneally injected once with 20% ethanol (5.5g/kg) 30 minutes before infection (Boe, Nelson et al. 2001, Zhang, Bagby et al. 2002).
