[The effect of opioid peptides on peripheral blood granulocytes]

Some neuropeptides may influence various functions of immunocompetent cells. Endogenous opioids have been implicated in the correlation of the immune, endocrine and nervous system. The object of our study was to evaluate the effects induced by some agonist and antagonist endogenous peptides to opioid receptors on granulocytes (PMNs) functions in vitro. We used these drugs: D-Ala2-D-Leu6-enkephalin (DADL-Sigma-Chemical-Usa); D-Ala2-N-ME-Phe4-Gly-ol5-enkephalin (DAGO-Sigma-Chemical-Usa); Dynorphin 1-9 (Sigma Chemical-Usa); naloxone (Sigma Chemical-Usa) and morphine (Sifac-Italy). Morphine was able to inhibiting neutrophil granulocyte chemotaxis induced by serum activated with E. Coli (p < 0.01), by casein (p < 0.01 and