title: Naloxone administration in vivo stereoselectively alters antigen-dependent and antigen-independent immune responses.
abstract: An investigation was conducted to determine the role naloxone has on immunocompetence in vivo. Mice (n = 7) injected with sheep red blood cells and treated with naloxone (0.1-10.0 mg/kg) show an enhanced production of total and antigen-specific IgM antibody by splenic lymphocytes compared to control (mock-treated) mice. The response was dose-dependent, with the greatest effect occurring at 0.1 mg/kg naloxone. A naloxone dose of 0.001 mg/kg was not active. In addition, natural killer activity was enhanced in the naloxone-treated mice compared to the controls. The effects on antigen-specific antibody production and natural killer activity were stereoselective, since (-)-naloxone is active whereas (+)-naloxone was not. These results illustrate the ability of an opioid receptor antagonist administered in vivo to regulate immunocompetence to antigen-specific and antigen-nonspecific immune responses, which may be useful during selective inflammatory processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Alabama, Birmingham.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Blalock
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012397:Rosette Formation
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D009270:Naloxone