EtOH enhances <i>Ab</i> dissemination from the lungs to the kidney 72 h post-infection.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Bacterial burden (CFU) in kidneys (24, 48, and 72 h post-infection) excised from untreated and EtOH-treated mice, infected with 10⁷<i>Ab</i> 0057 strain (<i>n</i> = 3 per group). Solid and error bars denote the means and standard deviations, respectively. Asterisks denote <i>P</i>-value significance (*<i>P</i><0.01) calculated by ANOVA and adjusted by use of the Bonferroni correction. This experiment was performed twice and similar results were obtained. (<b>B</b>) Histological analysis of kidneys removed from untreated- and EtOH-treated-<i>Ab</i>-infected C57BL/6 mice. Representative low (10X; scale bar: 20 µm) and high (40X; scale bar: 10 µm) magnification H&E-stained sections of the kidneys are shown with Gram staining <i>insets</i> (upper panel; Scale bars: 10 µm) showing the gram-negative <i>Ab</i> (72 h post-infection). (<b>C</b>) Cytokines levels (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-6; pg/mL) in the kidneys of C57BL/6 mice. Solid and error bars denote the means and standard deviations, respectively. Symbols denote <i>P</i>-value significance (<i>P</i><0.05) calculated by ANOVA and adjusted by use of the Bonferroni correction. *, φ, ∞ indicate higher levels than untreated, untr + <i>Ab</i>, EtOH groups, respectively. #, π, χ indicate lower levels than untreated, untr + <i>Ab</i>, EtOH groups, respectively. These experiments were performed twice and similar results were obtained.