Abstract
Opioid analgesics are used widely, both as very effective pain relievers and, in the case of heroin, as a recreational drug. At a time when acquired immune deficiency syndrome remains a prominent medical problem, this use of the opioids has led to concern regarding their effects on the normal functioning of the immune system. In fact, studies investigating the immunomodulatory effects of morphine have begun to reveal the pervasive nature of these effects. For example, an acute systemic injection of morphine decreases the proliferation of T cells to mitogen stimulation in both splenic1,2 and blood1-4 lymphocyte populations as well as the proliferation of B cell splenic lymphocytes1,2. Acute morphine treatment also decreases natural killer (NK) cell activity2,6,8,9, macrophage-mediated inhibition of tumor cell proliferation8, phagocytosis8, killing activity of polymorphonuclear cells8, and production of interferon-γ (IFN-γ)1,9, interleukin-21, and antibody10.
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© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Nelson, C.J., Dykstra, L.A., Lysle, D.T. (1998). Morphine’s Immunologic and Analgesic Effects. In: Friedman, H., Madden, J.J., Klein, T.W. (eds) Drugs of Abuse, Immunomodulation, and Aids. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 437. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5347-2_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5347-2_18
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