Acute morphine treatment reduce innate immunity against systematic infection of HSV-1 in mice

Abstract number: 1135_135

Jamali A., Roostaie M.H., Bamdad T., Solimanjahi H., Ghaderi Pakdel F.

Objective:  

The opioids including morphine are believed to be responsible for many systemic effects in drug abusers. Involving immune system the opioids increased susceptibility to infections. The effect of acute administration of morphine on Systemic HSV-1 infection was evaluated in this study.

Method:  

HSV-1 was propagated and titered on BK cell line. Three groups of BALB/c mice were received 50 mg/kg, 75 mg/kg or PBS (positive control) subcutaneously, 24 h after ip injection of 2 × 10⁷ TCID50 HSV-1. Under the same conditions a group of mice just received 75 mg/kg morphine as negative control. The survival rate was followed for 14 days. The cytotoxic activity of NK cells using MTT assay.

Results:  

Survival analysis demonstrated that comparing to control group administration of 75 mg morphine significantly reduces innate immunity to hsv-1 infection. The NK cell activity has been reduced in morphine-treated group in comparison with saline-treated one.

Conclusion:  

The results showed that adverse effects of Morphine on innate immunity can be taken as a result in enhanced rate of mortality in HSV-1 infected mice.