MORPHINE, ALCOHOL AND COCAINE MODULATE MESANGIAL MITOCHONDRIAL PATTERN

Focal glomerulosclerosis is the predominant glomerular lesion in patie nts with drug abuse. Since mesangial expansion is a precursor of glome rulosclerosis, we studied whether illicit drugs can alter mesangial ce ll handling of deposited macromolecules. We studied the effects of mor phine, cocaine, and alcohol on the aging of mesangial cells as judged by the distribution pattern of mitochondria. After 48 hours of incubat ion, mesangial cells treated with morphine, alcohol or cocaine showed a higher percentage of aged cells compared with control cells. When gr owth-arrested mesangial cells were treated with morphine and alcohol, they also had an increased percentage of aged cells compared with cont rol cells. These results suggest that morphine and cocaine accelerate the aging process in mesangial cells. This effect of morphine and coca ine may alter the handling of phlogogenic macromolecules by mesangial cells and may, thus, contribute to the expansion of the mesangium.