Influence of sleep deprivation and morphine on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in skin of hairless mice

Skin performs a host of primordial functions that keep the body alive. Morphine is a drug with immunosuppressant properties whose chronic use may lead to increased infection and delayed wound healing. Sleep is a fundamental biological phenomenon that promotes the integrity of several bodily functions. Sleep deprivation adversely affects several systems, particularly the immune system. The aim of this study was to perform an immunohistochemical evaluation on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in skin of sleep-deprived mice and mice chronically treated with morphine. Adult hairless male mice were distributed into the following groups: Control, morphine, sleep-deprived, and morphine + SD. Morphine (10 mg/kg, subcutaneous) was injected every 12 h for 9 days. Morphine induced immunoexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 and nitric oxide synthase. Sleep deprivation did not modulate outcomes induced by morphine. Morphine, not sleep loss, induces cyclooxygenase-2 and nitric oxide synthase immunoexpression in the skin of hairless mice.