The effects of morphine, cocaine, amphetamine and hashish on the phagocytosis of the protozoon Tetrahymena pyriformis strain W.
Cells of the ciliated protozoon Tetrahymena pyriformis, strain W, grown in a peptone-yeast medium usually contain many phagocytic vacuoles. The phagocytic activity of this protozoon was studied in vivo using heat-killed yeast stained with carmine dye and after exposing the cultures for 2 hr to morphine (20 mug/ml), cocaine (20 mug/ml), amphetamine (0.5 mug/ml) or hashish (0.1 mug/ml). The number of vacuoles formed indicated the phagocytic activity after treatment with the drugs of abuse. Amphetamine caused a slight increase (P < 0.05) in the phagocytic activity of the protozoon, whereas morphine, cocaine and hashish each caused a significant (P < 0.01) decrease in this activity.
Stefanidou
M
M
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, University of Athens, Medical School, Goudi, Mikras Asias Str, Athens 115 27, Greece.
Georgiou
M
M
Maravelias
C
C
Koutselinis
A
A