Impact of Opium Addiction on Levels of Pro- and Anti-inflammatory Cytokines after Surgery.
BACKGROUND
Opium addiction alters immune responses to stresses such as an injury due to changing the secretion of cytokines. The present study assessed the effect of opium addiction on the cytokines [tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and IL-10] before and after laparotomy.


METHODS
Male rats were randomly divided into control and opium addicted (n = 20). Then, cytokines were measured before surgery, immediately after surgery (within 30-60 minutes) and 24 hours after surgery.


RESULTS
IFN-γ was raised in an addicted group in three phases of the study as compared to that of the control group. IL-4 in opium addicted group decreased in two phases after surgery compared to the control group. IL-4 was lower after surgery in comparison to before surgery in the opium addicted group. The difference in IL-10 and TNFα levels was not statistically significant in the all groups measured in three phases of the investigation.


CONCLUSIONS
The results revealed that opium addiction can increase plasma level of IFN-γ in rats and decrease plasma level of IL-4 after surgical stress. It seems that opium addicted rats are a more susceptible to increased inflammation.
Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine AND Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Mohammad Reza
MR
Lashkarizadeh
Surgeon, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine AND Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Mohammad
M
Garshasbi
Associate Professor, Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Mohammad
M
Shabani
Professor, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Shahriar
S
Dabiri
Surgeon, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine AND Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Hadi
H
Hadavi
Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Hasan
H
Manafi-Anari
Cytokines; Interleukins; Laparotomy; Opium addiction; Rat