European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

IMMUNOTOXICITY OF HEROIN AND CANNABIS IN A SAMPLE OF EGYPTIAN POPULATION

Nahla E. Nagy, Osama A. Mohammed*, Lobna A. Saleh, Ahmed S. Doghish and Osama A. E. Mansour

ABSTRACT

Addiction is one of the world’s major health problems with large direct health costs (psychiatric and physical) as well as massive indirect costs to the society. The present study aimed to investigate the toxic effect of heroin and cannabis addiction on immune system and the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in immunotoxicity. 84 individuals; whose ages ranged from 18 to 38 years were classified into 6 groups: Group I, male subjects addicted to heroin; group II, male subjects addicted to Cannabis; group III female subjects addicted to heroin; group IV, female subjects addicted to Cannabis; group V, control male subjects; group VI, control female subjects. The control groups comprised 24 persons; while the study group included 60 addicts. 10 mL urine samples were screened for detection of substance abuse. Four mL blood was collected from each subject after taking informed consent and was divided as follows: Two mL for detection of cytokines; interlukin 2 & 6 (IL2 & IL6) by using flow cytometry and the other two mL for studying ROS (reduced glutathione; thiobarbituric acid reactive substances {TBARS} and protein oxidation) by using colorimetric assay. The results revealed a significant decrease in serum IL-2 in both heroin and cannabis males & females addicts compared to control group (64.9 + 2.999 & 62.93 + 2.198 respectively) and (64.45 + 1.703 & 61.67 + 2.182 respectively). While there is no significant difference in the IL-6 level. Regarding ROS; there is significant decrease in protein thiols level in both heroin and cannabis males & females addicts compared to control group (418.8+13.10 & 406.8+14.99 respectively) and (412.9 + 14.35 & 408.8 + 14.67 respectively). While, there are significant increases in both TBARS and protein oxidation in both cannabis and heroin males and females addicts in comparison to the control group. It could be concluded that heroin and cannabis addiction might play a role in the immunotoxicity through effects on the ROS.

Keywords: Addiction, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, reduced glutathione, ROS.