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Cocaine/sex type effects on T lymphocytes: a preliminary report
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina Charleston 29425-0742, USA.
Drug and Chemical Toxicology
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Cocaine exposure reduced T cell proliferation in mouse thymus in a dose-dependent manner. Female mice showed greater impairment from cocaine
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Cocaine is a stimulant with known effects on the central nervous system.
- Its impact on the immune system, particularly in developing organisms and across genders, requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of gender on cocaine's effects on the immune function of young mice.
- To assess cocaine's impact on T cell proliferation in the thymus and spleen.
Main Methods:
- Sexually immature C57BL/6J mice (35-day-old) were administered cocaine at doses of 5 or 40 mg/kg.
- T cell proliferation was measured using 3H thymidine incorporation after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin-A (Con-A).
- Measurements were taken 24 hours post-injection.
Main Results:
- Cocaine caused a dose-dependent reduction (25-51%) in T cell proliferation in the thymus for both male and female mice.
- T cell impairment occurred at a lower cocaine dose in female mice compared to male mice when PHA was used for stimulation.
- Cocaine did not significantly alter thymus or spleen weights, cell numbers, or T cell proliferation in the spleen.
Conclusions:
- Cocaine significantly impairs T cell proliferation in the thymus of young mice.
- Female mice exhibit heightened sensitivity to cocaine's immunosuppressive effects on T cells compared to males.
- These findings highlight gender-specific immunological consequences of early-life cocaine exposure.