Chronic Alcohol Consumption Alters Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR), Reduces Ribosomal p70S6 Kinase and p4E-BP1 Levels in Mouse Cerebral Cortex

Reduced insulin sensitivity following chronic alcohol consumption may contribute to alcohol-induced brain damage although the underlying mechanism(s) has not been elucidated. This study was designed to examine the effect of chronic alcohol intake on insulin signaling in mouse cerebral cortex. FVB mice were fed with a 4% alcohol diet for 16 weeks. Insulin receptor substrates (IRS-1, IRS-2) and post-receptor signaling molecules Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), ribosomal p70s6 kinase (p70s6k) and the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E)-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) as well as the apoptotic marker caspase-3 were evaluated using Western blot analysis. Chronic alcohol intake significantly dampened whole body glucose tolerance, enhanced expression of caspase-3 and mTOR, reduced p70s6k and 4E-BP1 with little effect on Akt signaling in alcohol-consuming mice. These data suggest that chronic alcohol intake may contribute to cerebral cortex dysfunction through mechanisms related, at least in part, to dampened post insulin receptor signaling at the levels of mTOR, p70s6k and 4E-BP1.