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AIDS, Drugs of Abuse, and the Neuroimmune Axis pp 5–11Cite as

The Effect of Novel Opioids on Natural Killer Activity and Tumor Surveillance in Vivo

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 402))

Abstract

Morphine and fentanyl (oral or transdermal administration) are used widely to treat pain in a diverse population of patients including those with cancer.1–3 However, both of these compounds are potently immunosuppressive particularly with regard to cell-mediated immunity. Relative to cytolytic effector cells, the acute administration of morphine (25.0 mg/kg, s.c.) has been shown to suppress natural killer (NK) activity.4 The suppression is reportedly mediated by central (brain) pathways5 located in the periaqueductal gray matter of the mesencephalon6 that involve both μ-opioid receptors and adrenergic-associated processes.7,8 Central activation of the adrenergic system as well as actions at opioid receptors may ultimately stimulate the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis to release adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) which can then act on the adrenals to secrete corticosterone which has recently been implicated in acute morphine-induced suppression of NK activity.9

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, USA

    Daniel J. J. Carr & Mace Scott

  2. Department of Pharmacology, LSU Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    Daniel J. J. Carr & Charles P. France

  3. The BOC Group, Ohmeda Pharmaceutical Products Division Inc., Murray Hill, New Jersey, USA

    Linda L. Brockunier & Jerome R. Bagely

Authors
  1. Daniel J. J. Carr
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  2. Mace Scott
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  3. Linda L. Brockunier
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  4. Jerome R. Bagely
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  5. Charles P. France
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, USA

    Herman Friedman

  2. Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Toby K. Eisenstein

  3. Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    John Madden

  4. Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Burt M. Sharp

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© 1996 Plenum Press, New York

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Carr, D.J.J., Scott, M., Brockunier, L.L., Bagely, J.R., France, C.P. (1996). The Effect of Novel Opioids on Natural Killer Activity and Tumor Surveillance in Vivo . In: Friedman, H., Eisenstein, T.K., Madden, J., Sharp, B.M. (eds) AIDS, Drugs of Abuse, and the Neuroimmune Axis. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 402. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0407-4_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0407-4_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-8038-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0407-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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