title: Regulation of mu opioid receptor expression in developing T cells.
abstract: We have previously reported that functionally active μ-opioid receptors (MOR) are constitutively expressed at relatively low levels by developing T cells in the thymus. However, very little is known about the regulation of MOR expression by immature T cells. In this report, we first attempted to determine the effect of T cell receptor-induced T cell activation on the expression of MOR. We activated T cells with either the combination of anti-CD3 and CD28, or with superantigen, and observed a substantial increase in MOR transcript expression. We also chose to examine the effect of cytokine-mediated T cell activation on the expression of this opioid receptor. We selected certain cytokines that play a role in T cell development and are known to be present at functional levels in the thymus gland. Our results show that interferon γ (IFNγ), IL-1β, and IL-2, and in particular transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ), all induced significant increases in MOR transcript expression. On the other hand, both TNFα and IL-7 exhibited much weaker effects on MOR expression. These results show that MOR expression by developing T cells is strongly regulated by several cytokines involved in T cell development in the thymus gland.
authors.affiliation: Center for Substance Abuse Research, Center for Inflammation, Translational and Clinical Lung Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
authors.forename: Lily
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Judith Sliker
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Belkowski
authors.forename: Tammi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Briscoe
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015851:Interleukin-7; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D012313:RNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000242:Cyclic AMP