Measurement of macrophage toll-like receptor 4 expression after morphine treatment.

The immune system is a complex and finely orchestrated system, and many soluble molecules and receptors contribute to its regulation. Recent studies have suggested that many of the modulatory effects induced by morphine on innate immunity, and in particular the effects on macrophage activation and function, can be due to the modulation of an important macrophage surface receptor, the toll-like receptor (TLR), that is primarily involved in early regulatory steps. In the present chapter we describe a Reverse transcription (RT)-real time PCR method for assessing TLR expression in macrophage after in vivo morphine treatment.