The Effect of Ethanol and Caffeine on Oral Cells

Objectives: Alcohol consumption is a popular pastime in the United States. In 2012, 51.3% of Americans over age 18 reported being regular drinkers. Blood alcohol concentrations can reach 0.5%, causing deleterious effects throughout the body and eventual death. However, the oral cavity is often exposed to much higher levels of ethanol up to 40%. The purpose of this study was to determine the tolerance of oral cells to ethanol, and to examine whether the addition of other substances (eg. cigarette smoke or caffeine) could amplify the toxicity of ethanol.
Methods: Gingival and periodontal ligament (PDL) cells were examined for survival after exposure to ethanol concentrations of 0-20% for 24 hours. PDL and gingival cells were exposed to various concentrations of ethanol concurrently with cigarette smoke extract (CSE) or caffeine. Cell survival was quantified fluorometrically.
Results: Gingival and PDL cells were sensitive to concentrations of 2-5% ethanol. CSE significantly enhanced the toxic effects of ethanol, but appeared to be independent of ethanol-induced cytotoxicity. In contrast, caffeine was non-toxic up to concentrations of 800μM. Interestingly, caffeine also increased the survival of cells exposed to ethanol.
Conclusions: Based on these results, exposure of oral cells to caffeine reduced the toxic effects of ethanol. These data suggest that caffeine may ameliorate the effects of ethanol, potentially improving gingival healing.