title: Opiate-like substances in an invertebrate, an opiate receptor on invertebrate and human immunocytes, and a role in immunosuppression.
abstract: The presence of morphine-like and codeine-like substances was demonstrated in the pedal ganglia, hemolymph, and mantle tissues of the mollusc Mytilus edulis. The pharmacological activities of the endogenous morphine-like material resemble those of authentic morphine. Both substances were found to counteract, in a dose-dependent manner, the stimulatory effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha or interleukin 1 alpha on human monocytes and Mytilus immunocytes, when added simultaneously to the incubation medium. The immunosuppressive effect of this opiate material expresses itself in a lowering of chemotactic activity, cellular velocity, and adherence. Codeine mimics the activity of authentic morphine, but only at much higher concentrations. Specific high-affinity receptor sites (mu 3) for morphine have been identified on human monocytes and Mytilus immunocytes. In Mytilus recovering from experimentally induced stress, the return of "altered" immunocytes to a more inactive state appears to be due to a significant rise in the content of morphine-like material in the pedal ganglia and hemolymph at this time. Thus, morphine may have a role in calming or terminating the state of immune alertness.
authors.affiliation: Multidisciplinary Center for the Study of Aging, Old Westbury Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York 11568.
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Stefano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Digenis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spector
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: T V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Bilfinger
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Makman
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scharrer
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Abumrad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000502:physiology*; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects; D017952:Ganglia, Invertebrate / Q000737:chemistry; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008024:Ligands; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D009294:Narcotics; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D009020:Morphine