Up-regulation of μ-, δ- and κ-opioid receptors in concanavalin A-stimulated rat spleen lymphocytes

Immune response and cytokine profiles in post-laminectomy pain syndrome: comparative analysis after treatment with intrathecal opioids, oral opioids, and non-opioid therapies

INTRODUCTION

This study explores the interaction between cytokines, cell-mediated immunity (T cells, B cells, and NK cells), and prolonged morphine administration in chronic neuropathic pain patients without cancer-related issues. Despite evidence of opioid immunomodulation, few studies have compared these interactions.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional and comparative study, 50 patients with chronic low back radicular pain ("Failed Back Surgery Syndrome") were categorized into intrathecal morphine infusion (IT group, n = 18), oral morphine (PO group, n = 17), and non-opioid treatment (NO group, n = 15). Various parameters, including plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytokine concentrations, lymphocyte immunophenotyping, opioid escalation indices, cumulative morphine dose, and treatment duration, were assessed.

RESULTS

CSF IL-8 and IL-1β concentrations exceeded plasma levels in all patients. No differences in T, B, and NK lymphocyte numbers were observed between morphine-treated and non-treated patients. Higher plasma IL-5 and GM-CSF concentrations were noted in IT and PO groups compared to NO. CSF IFNγ concentrations were higher in PO and NO than IT. Positive correlations included CD4 concentrations with opioid escalation indices, and negative correlations involved NK cell concentrations, CSF TNFα concentrations, and opioid escalation indices. Positive correlations were identified between certain cytokines and pain intensity in IT patients, and between NK cells and cumulative morphine dose. Negative correlations were observed between CSF IL-5 concentrations and pain intensity in IT and PO, and between opioid escalation indices and CSF cytokine concentrations in PO and IT.

CONCLUSION

Associations between cytokines, cellular immunity, and prolonged morphine treatment, administered orally and intrathecally were identified.

Higher cytotoxic activities of CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells from peripheral blood of early diagnosed lung cancer patients

INTRODUCTION

Cytotoxic (CD8+) and natural killer (NK) cells play critical roles in anti-tumor immunity. Dysfunction in these cells is considered as one of the extrinsic mechanisms for tumor relapse.

AIM

We aimed in this study to assess cytotoxic activities of CD8 + T and NK cells in the peripheral blood from lung cancer patients before and after induction of chemotherapy.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Healthy (n = 5) volunteers and lung cancer patients (n = 15:5 before, 5 during, and 5 after induction of chemotherapy) were recruited. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the numbers of CD8 + T cells, NK and CD56+T cells and their intracellular expression of granzyme B (GzB) in fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and after 72 h of their culture in vitro and stimulation with 5 µg/ml Concanavalin A (Con A) and 50ng/ml IL-2). In addition, the plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines were measured using luminex.

RESULTS

After culture, significant increases in the number of GzB expressing cells gated on CD3+, CD4+, CD8 + and NKCD8 + T cells in the PBMCs from lung cancer patients before induction of chemotherapy as compared to control individuals as well as patients during and after induction of chemotherapy. Serum levels of IL-1 and CXCL8 in patients before induction of chemotherapy showed 37- and 40-fold increases, respectively, as compared to control individuals. Both GzB expression and cytokines levels in patients during and after chemotherapy were similar.

CONCLUSION

Polyclonal stimulation of PBMCs can restore the cytolytic activities of cytotoxic CD8 and NK cells from lung cancer patients even after chemotherapy.

Immunosuppression by opioids: Mechanisms of action on innate and adaptive immunity

Opioids are excellent analgesics for the clinical treatment of various types of acute and chronic pain, particularly cancer-related pain. Nevertheless, it is well known that opioids have some nasty side effects, including immunosuppression, which is commonly overlooked. As a result, the incidence of opportunistic bacterial and viral infections increases in patients with long-term opioid use. Nowadays, there are no effective medications to alleviate opioid-induced immunosuppression. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanism of opioids in immunosuppression can enable researchers to devise effective therapeutic interventions. This review comprehensively summarized the exogenous opioids-induced immunosuppressive effects and their underlying mechanisms, the regulatory roles of endogenous opioids on the immune system, the potential link between opioid immunosuppressive effect and the function of the central nervous system (CNS), and the future perspectives in this field.

Role of neurotransmitters in immune-mediated inflammatory disorders: a crosstalk between the nervous and immune systems

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are a group of common heterogeneous disorders, characterized by an alteration of cellular homeostasis. Primarily, it has been shown that the release and diffusion of neurotransmitters from nervous tissue could result in signaling through lymphocyte cell-surface receptors and the modulation of immune function. This finding led to the idea that the neurotransmitters could serve as immunomodulators. It is now manifested that neurotransmitters can also be released from leukocytes and act as autocrine or paracrine modulators. Increasing data indicate that there is a crosstalk between inflammation and alterations in neurotransmission. The primary goal of this review is to demonstrate how these two pathways may converge at the level of the neuron and glia to involve in IMID. We review the role of neurotransmitters in IMID. The different effects that these compounds exert on a variety of immune cells are also reviewed. Current and future developments in understanding the cross-talk between the immune and nervous systems will undoubtedly identify new ways for treating immune-mediated diseases utilizing agonists or antagonists of neurotransmitter receptors.

The Dose-Dependent Effects of Multifunctional Enkephalin Analogs on the Protein Composition of Rat Spleen Lymphocytes, Cortex, and Hippocampus; Comparison with Changes Induced by Morphine

This work aimed to test the effect of 7-day exposure of rats to multifunctional enkephalin analogs LYS739 and LYS744 at doses of 3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg on the protein composition of rat spleen lymphocytes, brain cortex, and hippocampus. Alterations of proteome induced by LYS739 and LYS744 were compared with those elicited by morphine. The changes in rat proteome profiles were analyzed by label-free quantification (MaxLFQ). Proteomic analysis indicated that the treatment with 3 mg/kg of LYS744 caused significant alterations in protein expression levels in spleen lymphocytes (45), rat brain cortex (31), and hippocampus (42). The identified proteins were primarily involved in RNA processing and the regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics. In spleen lymphocytes, the administration of the higher 10 mg/kg dose of both enkephalin analogs caused major, extensive modifications in protein expression levels: LYS739 (119) and LYS744 (182). Among these changes, the number of proteins associated with immune responses and apoptotic processes was increased. LYS739 treatment resulted in the highest number of alterations in the rat brain cortex (152) and hippocampus (45). The altered proteins were functionally related to the regulation of transcription and cytoskeletal reorganization, which plays an essential role in neuronal plasticity. Administration with LYS744 did not increase the number of altered proteins in the brain cortex (26) and hippocampus (26). Our findings demonstrate that the effect of κ-OR full antagonism of LYS744 is opposite in the central nervous system and the peripheral region (spleen lymphocytes).

Preclinical and clinical studies into the bioactivity of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) for oncotherapy

Naltrexone (NTX) is a nonspecific opioid antagonist that exerts pharmacological effects on the opioid axis by blocking opioid receptors distributed in cytoplastic and nuclear regions. NTX has been used in opioid use disorder (OUD), immune-associated diseases, alcoholism, obesity, and chronic pain for decades. However, low-dose naltrexone (LDN) also exhibits remarkable inhibition of DNA synthesis, viability, and other functions in numerous cancers and is involved in immune remodeling against tumor invasion and chemical toxicity. The potential anticancer activity of LDN is a focus of basic research. Herein, we summarize the associated studies on LDN oncotherapy to highlight the potential mechanisms and prospective clinical applications.

A "Drug-Dependent" Immune System Can Compromise Protection against Infection: The Relationships between Psychostimulants and HIV

Psychostimulant use is a major comorbidity in people living with HIV, which was initially explained by them adopting risky behaviors that facilitate HIV transmission. However, the effects of drug use on the immune system might also influence this phenomenon. Psychostimulants act on peripheral immune cells even before they reach the central nervous system (CNS) and their effects on immunity are likely to influence HIV infection. Beyond their canonical activities, classic neurotransmitters and neuromodulators are expressed by peripheral immune cells (e.g., dopamine and enkephalins), which display immunomodulatory properties and could be influenced by psychostimulants. Immune receptors, like Toll-like receptors (TLRs) on microglia, are modulated by cocaine and amphetamine exposure. Since peripheral immunocytes also express TLRs, they may be similarly affected by psychostimulants. In this review, we will summarize how psychostimulants are currently thought to influence peripheral immunity, mainly focusing on catecholamines, enkephalins and TLR4, and shed light on how these drugs might affect HIV infection. We will try to shift from the classic CNS perspective and adopt a more holistic view, addressing the potential impact of psychostimulants on the peripheral immune system and how their systemic effects could influence HIV infection.

Pituitary neuropeptides and B lymphocyte function

This review discusses the accumulated evidence that pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene products as well as other pituitary neuropeptides derived from related genes (Proenkephalin, PENK; Prodynorphin, PDYN, and Pronociceptin, PNOC) can exert direct effects on B lymphocytes to modulate their functions. We also review the available data on receptor systems that might be involved in the transmission of such hormonal signals to B cells.

Expression of Opioid Receptors in Cells of the Immune System

The observation of the immunomodulatory effects of opioid drugs opened the discussion about possible mechanisms of action and led researchers to consider the presence of opioid receptors (OR) in cells of the immune system. To date, numerous studies analyzing the expression of OR subtypes in animal and human immune cells have been performed. Some of them confirmed the expression of OR at both the mRNA and protein level, while others did not detect the receptor mRNA either. Although this topic remains controversial, further studies are constantly being published. The most recent articles suggested that the expression level of OR in human peripheral blood lymphocytes could help to evaluate the success of methadone maintenance therapy in former opioid addicts, or could serve as a biomarker for chronic pain diagnosis. However, the applicability of these findings to clinical practice needs to be verified by further investigations.

Endogenous Opiates and Behavior: 2018

This paper is the forty-first consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2018 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (2), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (3) and humans (4), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (5), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (6), stress and social status (7), learning and memory (8), eating and drinking (9), drug abuse and alcohol (10), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (11), mental illness and mood (12), seizures and neurologic disorders (13), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (14), general activity and locomotion (15), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (16), cardiovascular responses (17), respiration and thermoregulation (18), and immunological responses (19).

The high-resolution proteomic analysis of protein composition of rat spleen lymphocytes stimulated by Concanavalin A; a comparison with morphine-treated cells

Morphine- and Concanavalin A-induced changes of protein composition of rat spleen lymphocytes were determined by high-resolution proteomic analysis, gel-free, label-free quantification, MaxLFQ. Stimulation by Con A resulted in a major reorganization of spleen cell protein composition evidenced by increased expression level of 94 proteins; 101 proteins were down-regulated (>2-fold). Interestingly, among proteins that were up-regulated to the largest extent were the prototypical brain proteins as a neuron specific enolase, synapsin-1, brain acid-soluble protein-1 and myelin basic protein. Morphine-induced change was limited to no more than 5 up-regulated and 18 down-regulated proteins (>2-fold).

cAMP guided his way: a life for G protein-mediated signal transduction and molecular pharmacology-tribute to Karl H. Jakobs

Karl H. Jakobs, former editor-in-chief of Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology and renowned molecular pharmacologist, passed away in April 2018. In this article, his scientific achievements regarding G protein-mediated signal transduction and regulation of canonical pathways are summarized. Particularly, the discovery of inhibitory G proteins for adenylyl cyclase, methods for the analysis of receptor-G protein interactions, GTP supply by nucleoside diphosphate kinases, mechanisms in phospholipase C and phospholipase D activity regulation, as well as the development of the concept of sphingosine-1-phosphate as extra- and intracellular messenger will presented. His seminal scientific and methodological contributions are put in a general and timely perspective to display and honor his outstanding input to the current knowledge in molecular pharmacology.

Interaction of neurotransmitters and neurochemicals with lymphocytes

Neurotransmitters and neurochemicals can act on lymphocytes by binding to receptors expressed by lymphocytes. This review describes lymphocyte expression of receptors for a selection of neurotransmitters and neurochemicals, the anatomical locations where lymphocytes can interact with neurotransmitters, and the effects of the neurotransmitters on lymphocyte function. Implications for health and disease are also discussed.

The Impact of Morphine on the Characteristics and Function Properties of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Morphine is an analgesic drug therapeutically administered to relieve pain. However, this drug has numerous side effects, which include impaired healing and regeneration after injuries or tissue damages. It suggests negative effects of morphine on stem cells which are responsible for tissue regeneration. Therefore, we studied the impact of morphine on the properties and functional characteristics of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The presence of μ-, δ- and κ-opioid receptors (OR) in untreated MSCs, and the enhanced expression of OR in MSCs pretreated with proinflammatory cytokines, was demonstrated using immunoblotting and by flow cytometry. Morphine modified in a dose-dependent manner the MSC phenotype, inhibited MSC proliferation and altered the ability of MSCs to differentiate into adipocytes or osteoblasts. Furthermore, morphine rather enhanced the expression of genes for various immunoregulatory molecules in activated MSCs, but significantly inhibited the production of the vascular endothelial growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor or leukemia inhibitory factor. All of these observations are underlying the selective impact of morphine on stem cells, and offer an explanation for the mechanisms of the negative effects of opioid drugs on stem cells and regenerative processes after morphine administration or in opioid addicts.