title: Potential role of the autonomic nervous system in the immunosuppressive effects of acute morphine administration.
abstract: These studies investigated the role of the autonomic nervous system in mediating the immunosuppressive effect of morphine on blood lymphocyte proliferation in rats. To determine the contribution of the autonomic nervous system, rats were pretreated with the ganglionic blocker chlorisondamine (5 mg/kg) prior to morphine (7 mg/kg) administration. Ganglionic blockade with chlorisondamine completely antagonized the inhibitory actions of morphine, suggesting that intact ganglionic transmission was required for the inhibition to occur. Blockade of postganglionic parasympathetic neurotransmission with atropine methylbromide (1 mg/kg) or blockade of sympathetic neurotransmission with the alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine (1 mg/kg) did not attenuate the suppressive effect of morphine. Blockade of beta-adrenoceptors with propranolol (2.5 mg/kg) resulted in partial antagonism, but this action was not shared by the peripherally acting beta-adrenoceptor antagonist nadolol (6 mg/kg). These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of morphine on blood lymphocyte proliferation may be mediated through activation of the autonomic nervous system; however, individual blockade of either the parasympathetic or sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system was not sufficient to antagonize this immunosuppressive effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Dretchen
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Bayer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001286:Atropine Derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002714:Chlorisondamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009248:Nadolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000502:physiology; D010646:Phentolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D001286:Atropine Derivatives; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D009479:Neuropeptides; D009248:Nadolol; D009020:Morphine; C006649:methylatropine; D011433:Propranolol; D002714:Chlorisondamine; D010646:Phentolamine