Effects and associated transcriptomic landscape changes of methamphetamine on immune cells.

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Toxicology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Methamphetamine (METH) abuse significantly impacts the immune system, increasing infection susceptibility and complicating withdrawal.
• The precise mechanisms by which METH injures immune cells remain unclear due to varied research models and limited bioinformatics analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the in vitro effects of METH on three common immune cell lines: Jurkat, NK-92, and THP-1.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying METH-induced immune cell damage at the transcriptome level.

Main Methods:

• Cell viability and apoptosis assays were performed on Jurkat, NK-92, and THP-1 cells treated with METH.
• RNA-sequencing was employed to analyze global gene expression changes in response to METH.
• Differential gene expression analysis, Gene Ontology, and KEGG pathway analysis were conducted using bioinformatics tools.

Main Results:

• METH differentially affected the viability of the three immune cell lines, with a significant increase in NK-92 cell apoptosis.
• Transcriptome analysis revealed METH-induced cholesterol metabolism disorders in Jurkat cells, ERK1/2 cascade activation in NK-92 cells, and calcium transport disruption in THP-1 cells.
• All three cell types exhibited alterations in phospholipid metabolic processes.

Conclusions:

• METH abuse affects both innate and adaptive immune cells, suggesting potential common molecular pathways.
• The findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms by which METH exerts its detrimental effects on immune cells.