title: The effects of opiates and opioid neuropeptides on mosquito hemocytes.
abstract: The effects of morphine, Met-enkephalin, and its synthetic analogue DAMA on the hemocytes of Culex pipiens mosquitoes were examined in vitro. Morphine caused the cells to round up and decrease in area. Met-enkephalin caused the cells to become ameboid and increase in area. This effect was accentuated with the addition of the neutral endopeptidase blocker phosphoramidon. DAMA caused a similar but greater enhancement of immune activation which was blocked by the opiate antagonist, naloxone. These results were similar to those seen in other invertebrate hemocytes.
authors.affiliation: Old Westbury Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York 11568, USA.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Pryor
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fascher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D003465:Culex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D006020:Glycopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006020:Glycopeptides; D009294:Narcotics; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; C022118:enkephalinamide-Met, Ala(2)-; D009020:Morphine; D015260:Neprilysin; C008890:phosphoramidon