COMPARISON OF IMMUNE FUNCTIONAL PARAMETERS FOLLOWING IN-VITRO EXPOSURE TO NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC AMPHETAMINES

The potential of synthetic and natural amphetamines to modulate cellul ar immune effector and regulatory mechanisms was evaluated in an in vi tro exposure system. Murine splenic lymphocytes and elicited peritonea l macrophages were cultured with 0.0001-100 mu M of amphetamine sulfat e, methamphetamine hydrochloride, or the (S) or (R) isomers of cathino ne hydrochloride, T-Lymphocyte regulatory function was assessed by qua ntitating the production of cytokines, and T-lymphocyte effector funct ion was assessed by the induction of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL). B- lymphocyte function was measured by proliferation, and natural immunit y was assessed by quantitating basal and IL-2 augmented natural killer (NK) cell activity. None of the compounds tested had any direct effec t on cellular viability. Exposure to amphetamine resulted in a signifi cant suppression of IL-2, but not IL-4, production by T-lymphocytes, a s well as a suppression of B-lymphocyte proliferation only at the high est amphetamine concentration examined. NK cell function was slightly suppressed by amphetamine exposure, but Was enhanced by methamphetamin e exposure. Conversely, exposure to either (S) or (R) isomers of cathi none resulted in stimulation of IL-2 production, B lymphocyte prolifer ation, and CTL induction. No significant effect of cathinone was noted on NK cell function. These data suggest that natural and synthetic am phetamines exhibit differential