M. Starec et al., THE EFFECT OF DRUGS ON THE MORTALITY OF MICE INOCULATED WITH FRIEND-LEUKEMIA VIRUS OR TOXOPLASMA-GONDII, Physiologia bohemoslovaca, 46(2), 1997, pp. 107-111
Infection and tumors provoke substantial changes accompanied with the
disbalance of many neuroendocrine factors which in their summarizing e
ffects influence the life span of animals. Our previous results showed
enhanced mortality after one injection of morphine in association wit
h Friend leukaemia virus infection. The aim of this study was to exami
ne the effects of some other opioids (pethidine and pentazocine) and a
n acetylcholine esterase inhibitor neostigmine on the survival of anim
als under two conditions: (1) Friend leukaemia virus infection which m
ostly depressed immune functions, and (2) Toxoplasma gondii infection
which in general enhanced the immune status. In contrast to our previo
us observation with morphine, the mortality induced by single doses of
pethidine (150 mg/kg) or pentazocine (50-75 mg/kg) was unchanged duri
ng the Friend leukaemia virus infection. A single injection of neostig
mine (0.42 or 0.56 mg/kg) was significantly more lethal in DBA-2 mice
infected with Friend leukaemia virus. Neostigmine in doses of 0.33 and
0.4 mg/kg caused death in 46 % and 57 %, respectively, of animals inf
ected with Toxoplasma gondii which was significantly higher in compari
son with only 8 % and 12.5 % in control groups. Pethidine (150 mg/kg)
killed 70 % of Toxoplasma gondii infected animals and even 90 % of non
-infected mice. Thus, the Friend leukaemia virus and Toxoplasma gondii
infections increased toxicity only of some drugs which may, at least
partly, be associated with altered immune status during infection and
involvement of the cholinergic system.