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Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, March 2000, p. 245-250, Vol. 7, No. 2
1071-412X/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Cocaine Causes Increased Type I Interferon Secretion by both L929 Cells and Murine Macrophages

K. Grattendick,1,* D. B. Jansen,2,dagger D. L. Lefkowitz,2 and S. S. Lefkowitz1

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430,1 and Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 794092

Received 13 May 1999/Returned for modification 19 July 1999/Accepted 10 December 1999

Cocaine has been demonstrated to have a number of different effects on immune cell functions. We have reported alterations of cellular functions by macrophages (Mphi ) exposed to cocaine in vitro, including the inhibition of mouse hepatitis virus replication. Here, we present evidence that cocaine stimulates the secretion of an antiviral product that is neutralized by anti-interferon (anti-IFN). A dose-dependent increase in the secretion of IFN by both Mphi and L929 cells incubated with cocaine, with a concomitant decrease in virus replication, is also reported. The increase in IFN secretion was most pronounced when cells were cultured in the presence of the IFN inducer poly(I·C). The effect of cocaine on IFN production was found to be primarily at the transcript level in both Mphi and L929 cells. These findings further support our previous research demonstrating an antiviral activity of cocaine in vitro. The relevance of this activity to viral infections in general remains to be determined.

* Corresponding author. Present address: Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical Research Building, Route 1070, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-1070. Phone: (409) 772-4928. Fax: (409) 747-6869. E-mail: kjgratte{at}utmb.edu.

dagger Present address: Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78245.

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, March 2000, p. 245-250, Vol. 7, No. 2
1071-412X/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.




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Copyright © 2000 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.