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Opioids and the Immune System

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Opioids

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Abstract

Opioids have multiple effects on the immune system (IS). Experimentally, the effects of opioid administration range from a severe inhibition to strong activation of immune responses, depending on the compound, schedule administration, experimental model, or clinical condition. On the other hand, endogenous opioids play a central role in the complex circuitry that mediates the IS and nervous system (NS) communication, tuning the intensity of reactions such as inflammation and pain or the mechanisms for sensing tissue damage and triggering a stress response. This chapter reviews studies showing increased susceptibility to infections and altered immune parameters produced by opioids and some mechanisms involved in direct and indirect actions of opioids on innate and adaptive immunity, the influence on genetic factors and aging on opioid effects, and pathologies where opioids exert immunomodulatory actions, including current information about COVID-19.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav), Mexico City, Mexico

    Claudia Gonzalez-Espinosa & Frida L. Martínez-Cuevas

  2. Departamento de Inmunología y Reumatología, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico

    Iris K. Madera-Salcedo

  3. Laboratorio de Farmacología y Conducta, Instituto de Neurociencias, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    Luz M. Molina-Martínez

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    Silvia L. Cruz

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Gonzalez-Espinosa, C., Madera-Salcedo, I.K., Molina-Martínez, L.M., Martínez-Cuevas, F.L. (2022). Opioids and the Immune System. In: Cruz, S.L. (eds) Opioids. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09936-6_12

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