Effect of the opioid methionine enkephalinamide on signal transduction in human T-lymphocytes

T cell receptor (TCR/CD3) induced fluctuations in intracellular free ionizied calcium, [Ca2+]i, was analysed in the human T leukemia cell clone, Jurkat, cultured in the presence of the opioid methionine enkephalinamide (Met-Enk) in titrated concentrations (10[-7] to 10[-15] M) or saline (PBS). In the majority of individual experiments, the activation-induced fluctuations in [Ca2+]i were similar in cells cultured in the presence of Met-Enk and PBS, respectively. However, when all the experimental data from 101 separate TCR/CD3-activation experiments with Met-Enk were compared with the 67 separate control experiments, we found that a fraction (20-40%) of the individual sets of Met-Enk experiments responded significantly different when compared to PBS-controls. In this fraction of experiments the increase in [Ca2+]i after ligation of the TCR/CD3 complex was extremely slow compared to controls. Moreover, the levels of [Ca2+]i in this particular fraction were lower than control levels prior to ligation of the TCR/CD3 complex. The data support the idea that signal transduction in T cells can be influenced by endogenous opioid. The data therefore give credit to the evolving hypothesis of a functional relationship between the neuroendocrine system and the immune system.