Acute ethanol exposure and the response to injury

Loyola University Chicago, Maywood IL

Investigators

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Wound healing is a dynamic process involving three overlapping phases that ultimately leads to the regeneration of injured tissue. Wound healing normally proceeds without complications; however, various factors have been associated with impaired wound healing. One factor that is believed to influence wound repair is ethanol consumption. Clinically, ethanol intoxication has been implicated as an increased risk for mortality and morbidity involving surgical and trauma patients. However, the specific effects of acute ethanol exposure on wound healing have yet to be explored. The purpose of this study is to characterize the effects of acute ethanol exposure on wound angiogenesis and restoration of the extracellular matrix (ECM). The overall hypothesis is that acute ethanol exposure provokes cellular perturbations that lead to impaired restoration of the extracellular matrix and attenuated angiogenesis in injured tissue. Aim I will examine the direct effects of acute ethanol exposure on endothelial cell function, including the assessment of VEGF cell signaling. Aim II will investigate the mechanisms by which acute ethanol exposure inhibits restoration of the extracellular matrix. The proposed experiments will elucidate the effect of ethanol exposure on angiogenesis and the ECM, and begin to characterize the mechanisms by which ethanol increases the risk for complications following surgical or traumatic injury. [unreadable] [unreadable]