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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Amino Acids. 2011 Dec 15;45(1):9–24. doi: 10.1007/s00726-011-1163-0

Figure 4. Pathways of opiate induced immune suppression.

Figure 4

Morphine can modulate immune system via direct and indirect pathway. Indirectly morphine acts on CNS and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis which leads to release of corticosteroids, immunosuppressive hormones which lead to suppression of the immune system. Direct inhibitory pathway requires direct interaction of opioids on cells of the immune system.