Objective: To determine whether morphine having the ability to influence the antiviral effect of lamivudine (3TC) in vitro study.
Methods: MT2 cells were randomly assigned into morphine + 3TC treatment group, morphine + naloxone + 3TC treatment group, naloxone + 3TC treatment group. Both 3TC and virus control groups were set up. The corresponding MT2 cells were treated with opiates antagonist (naloxone) for 0.5 hours before the 24-hours morphine treatment program was implemented while all of the groups were then infected with equal amounts of cell-free HIV-1 IIIB strain and 3TC. HIV-1 p24 antigen in culture supernatants collected at days 3, 4, 5 and 6 after infection status was tested and the inhibition of 3TC anti-HIV-1 p24 antigen of various treatment groups calculated.
Results: Inhibition of 3TC anti-HIV-1 p24 antigen of Morphine + 3TC treatment group was the lowest when HIV-1 infected cells at 3(rd)and 4(th) day and showed significant difference (P < 0.05) when compared to the 3TC control. However, there was no statistically significant difference among them (P > 0.05), when virus was infected the cells at 5(th)and 6(th) day. The difference of 3TC anti-HIV-1 p24 antigen inhibition between the morphine + naloxone + 3TC treatment group and the naloxone + 3TC treatment group was not significant (P > 0.05). Similar results were obtained when these two groups were compared to the 3TC control group (P > 0.05), respectively. The 3TC anti-HIV-1 p24 antigen inhibition of each treatment group reduced as the time of infection prolonged, showing a significant and time-course effect.
Conclusion: The 3TC antiviral effect was reduced by morphine in the early stage of infection, and could be blocked by naloxone.