Decrease of lymphoproliferative response by amphetamine is mediated by dopamine from the nucleus accumbens: Influence on splenic met-enkephalin levels.

ASSIS MA; VALDOMERO A; GARCÍA-KELLER C; SOTOMAYOR C; CANCELA LM

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Año: 2011 vol. 25 p. 647 - 647

p>Despite the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic pathway being one of the main substrates underlying stimulating and reinforcing effects induced by psychostimulant drugs, there is little information regarding its role in their effects at the immune level. We have previously demonstrated that acute exposure to amphetamine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) induced an inhibitory effect on the splenic T-cell proliferative response, along with an increase in the methionine(met)-enkephalin content at limbic and immune levels, 4 days after drug administration. In this study, we investigated if a possible dopamine mechanism underlies these amphetamine-induced effects by administering D1 and D2 dopaminergic antagonists or a dopaminergic terminal neurotoxin b