Opiates as Modulators of Genetic Damage and Immunocompetence

Abstract

Significant increases in leukocyte chromosome damage (frequency of chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges) have been found in street opiate addicts as well as rhesus monkeys treated with heroin. Retrospective epidemiologic findings of an increase in carcinogenesis among opiate addicts confirmed the expectation of cytogenetic studies. Opiates and their metabolites, however, are not primary DNA damaging agents. Instead, opiates appear to promote the increase in cytogenetic damage by decreasing the ability of leukocytes to repair DNA damage produced by environmental mutagens. The mechanism by which opiates decrease DNA repair is currently unknown, but there are data which suggest that leukocytes have opiate binding sites. T lymphocytes treated in vitro with morphine lose their ability to rosette sheep erythrocytes-a process which can be reversed by incubation with the opiate antoagonist naloxone. This parallels the situation of leukocytes form street addicts in which teh percent of circulating...