Cocaine modulation in vitro of tumor necrosis factor production by macrophages from retrovirally infected mice

The effect of cocaine and LP-BM5 murine leukemia retrovirus infection on tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production were investigated. Three types of macrophages were used 1) peritoneal macrophage (PM), 2) thioglycollate induced peritoneal macrophage (TPM), and 3) alveolar macrophage (AM). Cells were cultured with and without cocaine during in vitro stimulation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and gamma-interferon (IFN). Retroviral infection enhanced the TNF production by PM and AM, but not by TPM. Intraperitoneal cocaine injection reduced TNF production by PM, but increased TNF production by AM and TPM. TNF production by AM from cocaine injected mice was stimulated by cocaine applied in vitro. In contrast, 100 μg/ml of cocaine in vitro significantly inhibited the TNF production by TPM from uninfected and retrovirally infected mice. Thus, TNF production by microphages is modulated by murine retroviral infection and cocaine treatment. This could play an important role in host defense.