HEAT SHOCK PROTEINS AND ALCOHOL

In response to many metabolic disturbances and injuries, the cells mount a stress response with the induction of a variety of proteins, most notably the 70 kDa family of heat shock proteins. Included in this family are hsp70 (the inducible form), hsc70 (heat shock cognate, the constitutive form) and grp78 (the constitutively expressed glucoseregulated protein). Alcohol induces injury in diverse tissues and induces the expression of heat shock proteins in different cellular systems. The induction of different members of the hsp70 family reflects specific cellular and molecular aspects of alcohol-induced toxicity. This chapter will cover these studies and the potential mechanisms by which the different members of the hsp70 family may mediate the pathophysiology of organ damage by alcohol.