Skip to main content
Advertisement

Main menu

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current Issue
    • Fast Forward
    • Latest Articles
    • Special Sections
    • Archive
  • Information
    • Instructions to Authors
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • FAQs
    • For Subscribers
    • Terms & Conditions of Use
    • Permissions
  • Editorial Board
  • Alerts
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
  • Virtual Issues
  • Feedback
  • Submit
  • Other Publications
    • Drug Metabolism and Disposition
    • Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
    • Molecular Pharmacology
    • Pharmacological Reviews
    • Pharmacology Research & Perspectives
    • ASPET

User menu

  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
  • Other Publications
    • Drug Metabolism and Disposition
    • Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
    • Molecular Pharmacology
    • Pharmacological Reviews
    • Pharmacology Research & Perspectives
    • ASPET
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current Issue
    • Fast Forward
    • Latest Articles
    • Special Sections
    • Archive
  • Information
    • Instructions to Authors
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • FAQs
    • For Subscribers
    • Terms & Conditions of Use
    • Permissions
  • Editorial Board
  • Alerts
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
  • Virtual Issues
  • Feedback
  • Submit
  • Visit jpet on Facebook
  • Follow jpet on Twitter
  • Follow jpet on LinkedIn
Research ArticleArticle

Alterations of Immune Functions in Heroin Addicts and Heroin Withdrawal Subjects

Piyarat Govitrapong, Tunda Suttitum, Naiphinich Kotchabhakdi and Thongchai Uneklabh
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics August 1998, 286 (2) 883-889;
Piyarat Govitrapong
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Tunda Suttitum
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Naiphinich Kotchabhakdi
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Thongchai Uneklabh
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

Conflicting results, both decreased and increased, have been reported concerning the function of T-lymphocytes in heroin addicts. We investigated the alterations of T-lymphocyte proliferative responses and immunophenotypic markers on lymphoid cells in heroin addicts and during different periods of heroin withdrawal in addicted subjects. This study has demonstrated a decrease in the response of T-lymphocytes to 1.2, 2.5, 5 and 10 μg/ml of phytohemagglutinin stimuli in heroin addicts and 1- to 5-day heroin withdrawal subjects compared with controls. Similarly, in an in vitro study, 10−4, 10−6 and 10−8 M concentrations of morphine were shown to suppress 0.6 and 2.5 μg/ml of PHA-stimulated T-lymphocyte obtained from naive subjects. This inhibitory effect of morphine on PHA stimulation was completely abolished by 100 μM naloxone. The immunological parameters of total T-lymphocytes (CD3), T-helper cells (CD4), cytotoxic T-cells (CD8), B-cells and natural killer cells that are the immunophenotypic markers studied by flow cytometric analysis were altered in heroin addicts, 15- to 21-day and 6- to 24-month heroin withdrawal subjects, when compared with controls. These results suggest that heroin addicts and short period (15 to 21 days and 6 to 24 months) of heroin withdrawal have decreases in their immune system functioning and that the heroin withdrawal subjects seem to gradually reverse their immunological parameters to normal levels when withdrawal was sustained ≥2 years. This is the first report examining immune function in heroin withdrawal subjects using the “cold turkey” method. The results are beneficial for further study of the mechanism responsible for the opioid-induced changes in immune function.

Footnotes

  • Send reprint requests to: Piyarat Govitrapong, Ph.D., Neuro-Behavioural Biology Center, Institute of Science and Technology for Research and Development, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakornpathom 73170, Thailand. E-mail:grpkk{at}mahidol.ac.th

  • ↵1 This work was supported by a Mahidol University Research Grant (P.G.) and a Thanyarak Hospital Research Fund (T.U.).

  • Abbreviations:
    PHA
    phytohemagglutinin
    NK
    natural killer
    HIV
    human immunodeficiency virus
    AIDS
    acquired immune deficiency syndrome
    HPA
    hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal
    IL-1
    interleukin-1
    RPMI
    Roswell Park Memorial Institute
    DAMGO
    [d-Ala2,MePhe4, Gly-ol5]enkephalin
    HBsAg
    hepatitis B antigens
    • Received December 12, 1997.
    • Accepted April 8, 1998.
  • The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
View Full Text

JPET articles become freely available 12 months after publication, and remain freely available for 5 years. 

Non-open access articles that fall outside this five year window are available only to institutional subscribers and current ASPET members, or through the article purchase feature at the bottom of the page. 

 

  • Click here for information on institutional subscriptions.
  • Click here for information on individual ASPET membership.

 

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Vol. 286, Issue 2
1 Aug 1998
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by author
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for sharing this Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics article.

NOTE: We request your email address only to inform the recipient that it was you who recommended this article, and that it is not junk mail. We do not retain these email addresses.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Alterations of Immune Functions in Heroin Addicts and Heroin Withdrawal Subjects
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
(Your Name) thought you would be interested in this article in Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Research ArticleArticle

Alterations of Immune Functions in Heroin Addicts and Heroin Withdrawal Subjects

Piyarat Govitrapong, Tunda Suttitum, Naiphinich Kotchabhakdi and Thongchai Uneklabh
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics August 1, 1998, 286 (2) 883-889;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero

Share
Research ArticleArticle

Alterations of Immune Functions in Heroin Addicts and Heroin Withdrawal Subjects

Piyarat Govitrapong, Tunda Suttitum, Naiphinich Kotchabhakdi and Thongchai Uneklabh
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics August 1, 1998, 286 (2) 883-889;
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • Methods
    • Results
    • Discussion
    • Acknowledgments
    • Footnotes
    • References
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF

Related Articles

Cited By...

More in this TOC Section

  • PST3093 Stimulates SERCA2a and Improves Cardiac Function
  • CRV431 Decreases Liver Fibrosis and Tumor Development
  • Response-Rate Suppression in Operant Paradigm as Predictor of Soporific Potency in Rats and Identification of Three Novel Sedative-Hypnotic Neuroactive Steroids
Show more Article

Similar Articles

Advertisement
  • Home
  • Alerts
Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   RSS

Navigate

  • Current Issue
  • Fast Forward by date
  • Fast Forward by section
  • Latest Articles
  • Archive
  • Search for Articles
  • Feedback
  • ASPET

More Information

  • About JPET
  • Editorial Board
  • Instructions to Authors
  • Submit a Manuscript
  • Customized Alerts
  • RSS Feeds
  • Subscriptions
  • Permissions
  • Terms & Conditions of Use

ASPET's Other Journals

  • Drug Metabolism and Disposition
  • Molecular Pharmacology
  • Pharmacological Reviews
  • Pharmacology Research & Perspectives
ISSN 1521-0103 (Online)

Copyright © 2023 by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics