Macrophage functions in drugs of abuse-treated mice.
The in vivo effect of morphine, methadone and cocaine on murine peritoneal macrophage-mediated cytostasis and macrophage supernatant mediated cytostasis was investigated. In addition, the activity of drugs of abuse was studied on IL-1 alpha and TNF production by activated murine macrophages. A highly depressive effect on macrophage-mediated cytostatic activity and a decrease of IL-1 alpha and TNF levels were found in the supernatants of activated macrophages observed in morphine- and cocaine-treated mice. Conversely, a significant impairment of macrophage functions was not observed in methadone-treated mice. Our results suggest that the inhibition of macrophage defensive functions caused by drugs of abuse may be an important cofactor in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases.
Pacifici
R
R
Clinical Biochemistry Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Di Carlo
S
S
Bacosi
A
A
Zuccaro
P
P
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003042:Cocaine / Q000633:toxicity*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D007939:Leukemia L1210; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009020:Morphine / Q000633:toxicity*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D007375:Interleukin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009020:Morphine; D003042:Cocaine; D008691:Methadone