Interactive Effects of Morphine on HIV Infection: Role in HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder
Figure 2
Morphine inhibits IL-8 gene expression in astrocytes and U87 astrocytoma cells. cells were cultured and treated with or without morphine for 24 h. RNA was extracted, reverse-transcribed, and amplified by PCR using primers for IL-8 and housekeeping gene G3PDH. PCR products were resolved on 1.2% agarose gel by electrophoresis. G3PDH remained unchanged at all periods while morphine significantly suppressed the expression of IL-8 gene in a dose-dependent manner in U87 astrocytoma (a). Quantitation of the effect of morphine on IL-8 gene expression by densitometry in U87 cells after normalizing to housekeeping gene (b). Kinetics of morphine inhibition of IL-8 gene expression in human astrocytes treated with different doses of morphine for 24 h (c). Quantitation of the effect of morphine on IL-8 gene expression in astrocyte cultures by densitometry after normalizing to housekeeping gene (d). This figure is reproduced from the original article in Journal of Immunology, 169: 3589-99, Mahajan et al. [47]. Morphine regulates gene expression of alpha- and beta-chemokines and their receptors on astroglial cells via the opioid mu receptor. Copyright 2002. The American Association of Immunologists.
