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Chapter 37: Problem 7

Which of the following statements is true: a. Opioids, cannabinoids, and cocaine uniformly suppress the activity of NK cells. b. The use of N-methylmorphine substantiated the direct effects of opioid- induced NK cell suppression. c. Mice lacking the \(\mu\)-opioid receptor do not have suppressed NK cell activity in response to morphine treatment. d. \(\Delta^{9}\)-THC prevents NK cell proliferation by inhibiting the secretion of TGF- \(\beta\). e. Morphine inhibits NK cell activity by inducing endogenous cannabinoid levels.

Short Answer

Expert verified
a) Opioids, cannabinoids, and cocaine uniformly suppress the activity of NK cells. b) The use of N-methylmorphine substantiated the direct effects of opioid-induced NK cell suppression. c) Mice lacking the μ-opioid receptor do not have suppressed NK cell activity in response to morphine treatment. d) Δ9-THC prevents NK cell proliferation by inhibiting the secretion of TGF- β. e) Morphine inhibits NK cell activity by inducing endogenous cannabinoid levels. Answer: c) Mice lacking the μ-opioid receptor do not have suppressed NK cell activity in response to morphine treatment.

Step by step solution

01

Statement a

Opioids, cannabinoids, and cocaine uniformly suppress the activity of NK cells. This statement claims that all three substances have the same uniform effect on NK cells, which is not true. Opioids and cannabinoids can suppress NK cell activity, but their mechanisms are different, while cocaine does not uniformly suppress NK cell activity.
02

Statement b

The use of N-methylmorphine substantiated the direct effects of opioid-induced NK cell suppression. N-methylmorphine is a compound with a similar structure to morphine and is used to help study the direct effects opioids have on the suppression of NK cells. This statement could potentially be true if supported by research or data.
03

Statement c

Mice lacking the \(\mu\)-opioid receptor do not have suppressed NK cell activity in response to morphine treatment. The statement implies that mice without the \(\mu\)-opioid receptor would not experience suppressed NK cell activity after exposure to morphine. Since the \(\mu\)-opioid receptor is crucial for the action of opioids, including morphine, lacking the receptor should result in no suppression of NK cell activity. This statement seems logical.
04

Statement d

\(\Delta^{9}\)-THC prevents NK cell proliferation by inhibiting the secretion of TGF- \(\beta\). \(\Delta^{9}\)-THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is a cannabinoid found in cannabis plants. It is known to have immunosuppressive effects, but the statement's claim about the specific mechanism of inhibiting TGF-\(\beta\) secretion needs further corroborating evidence to be considered true.
05

Statement e

Morphine inhibits NK cell activity by inducing endogenous cannabinoid levels. While morphine is an opioid and has demonstrated immunosuppressive effects, increasing endogenous cannabinoid levels is not its primary mechanism of action. Morphine affects the opioid receptors, not the endocannabinoid system, which makes this statement unlikely to be true. Based on the information provided, the true statement is: c. Mice lacking the \(\mu\)-opioid receptor do not have suppressed NK cell activity in response to morphine treatment.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

In regard to cannabinoids: a. They are proteins. b. They exert their effects primarily by interdigitating into cell membranes. c. There is evidence that they polarize the immune response towards a Thl type phenotype. d. There is evidence that they polarize the immune response towards a Th2 type phenotype. e. They have no direct effects on cells of the immune system.

Both opioids and cannabinoids have been shown to sensitize animals to a variety of experimental infections. The impact of drugs of abuse on resistance to infectious agents can be difficult to evaluate because: a. Drug abuse rarely involves the administration of a single drug, and the effects of poly-drug abuse are poorly understood. b. Drug abusers are exposed more frequently to pathogenic agents than non- abusers. c. A number of additional factors, which are hard to control, impact on measurement of the immune competence of drug abusers, including the dose of the drug and the time since it was last taken. d. The contributions of legal drug use, including nicotine and alcohol, can complicate the effects of illegal drug abuse. e. All of the above.

It is observed that morphine given subcutaneously suppresses responses of spleen cells put into tissue culture with the T-cell mitogen Concanavalin \(\mathbf{A}\) (Con A). a. Mice with a disruption of the gene coding the mu opioid receptor (Mu Opioid Receptor knock-out mice), would not show suppression to \(\operatorname{Con} \mathrm{A}\). b. Morphine acts mainly through the kappa opioid receptor. c. Morphine is mainly metabolized to heroin when it is injected in vivo. d. Methyl-morphine could not be used to determine if peripheral receptors or brain receptors are involved in the immunosuppression. e. None of the above.

Opioids modulate phagocyte activity by: a. Increasing phagocytic uptake of bacteria. b. Decreasing apoptosis of phagocytic cells. c. Enhancing maturation of bone marrow cells into macrophages. d. Decreasing their ability to make microbicidal compounds in vitro. e. Decreasing maturation of lymphocytes in the bone marrow.

In regard to the immune system, morphine has been shown to: a. Elevate antibody responses to various antigens. b. Elevate responses to the B-cell mitogen, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). c. Elevate delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses. d. Increase phagocytosis by macrophages. e. Depress natural killer \((\mathrm{NK})\) cell activity.
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