title: Methamphetamine and diazepam suppress antigen-specific cytokine expression and antibody production in ovalbumin-sensitized BALB/c mice.
abstract: Methamphetamine is a widely abused psychostimulant. Abusing methamphetamine causes various adverse effects, such as immune dysfunction. The present study investigated the effect of diazepam, a central depressant, on methamphetamine-induced immunosuppression. BALB/c mice were daily administered with diazepam and methamphetamine (5mg/kg of each), either alone or in combination, for 5 consecutive days followed by sensitization with ovalbumin (OVA). Two days later the same dosing and sensitization regimen was repeated once. The production of serum anti-OVA antibodies, and the cellularity and functional activities of splenocytes were measured 7 days post the 2nd OVA sensitization. The results demonstrated that methamphetamine and/or diazepam significantly attenuated the production of OVA-specific IgM, IgG(1) and IgG(2a). Concordantly, splenocytes of mice administered with diazepam and/or methamphetamine produced less IL-4 and IFN-gamma upon ex vivo re-stimulation with OVA, as compared to the vehicle-treated control. In contrast, the cellularity and metabolic activity of splenocytes were not altered by the drug treatment. These results indicated that the central depressant diazepam did not affect methamphetamine-mediated immunosuppression. Rather, both drugs markedly suppressed antigen-specific antibody production and T-cell reactivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Shiaw-Pyng
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Wey
authors.forename: Hsin-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Fang-Chia
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Tong-Rong
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Jan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D016207:Cytokines; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D008694:Methamphetamine; D010047:Ovalbumin; D003975:Diazepam