TY - JOUR
T1 - Marijuana components stimulate human peripheral blood mononuclear cell secretion of interferon-gamma and suppress interleukin-1 alpha in vitro
AU - Watzl, Bernhard
AU - Scuderi, Philip
AU - Watson, Ronald R.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgment -- This study was supported by ADAMHA grants AA 08037 and DA 04827.
PY - 1991
Y1 - 1991
N2 - We investigated the in vitro effects of both psychoactive and nonpsychoactive marijuana components on leukocyte secretion of the immunoregulatory cytokines interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF), interferon-gamma (IFN) and interleukin-2 (IL-2). Psychoactive delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and nonpsychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) were added to cultures of mitogen-activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and the concentrations of IL-1, TNF, IFN and IL-2 in culture supernatants were measured by ELISA systems. Concentrations of THC and CBD, comparable to plasma levels found after smoking marijuana (10-100 ng/ml), increased the concentration of measurable IFN (139 and 68%), while high concentrations of both cannabinoids (5-20 μg/ml) completely blocked synthesis and/or release of this cytokine. CBD was also shown to decrease the measurable quantity of both IL-1 and TNF. In contrast to the effects of IFN, IL-1 and TNF, both cannabinoids, had no effect on IL-2 secretion. This report suggests that both psychoactive and nonpsychoactive components of marijuana are immunomodulating and can potentially alter cytokine secretion of human PBMC.
AB - We investigated the in vitro effects of both psychoactive and nonpsychoactive marijuana components on leukocyte secretion of the immunoregulatory cytokines interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF), interferon-gamma (IFN) and interleukin-2 (IL-2). Psychoactive delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and nonpsychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) were added to cultures of mitogen-activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and the concentrations of IL-1, TNF, IFN and IL-2 in culture supernatants were measured by ELISA systems. Concentrations of THC and CBD, comparable to plasma levels found after smoking marijuana (10-100 ng/ml), increased the concentration of measurable IFN (139 and 68%), while high concentrations of both cannabinoids (5-20 μg/ml) completely blocked synthesis and/or release of this cytokine. CBD was also shown to decrease the measurable quantity of both IL-1 and TNF. In contrast to the effects of IFN, IL-1 and TNF, both cannabinoids, had no effect on IL-2 secretion. This report suggests that both psychoactive and nonpsychoactive components of marijuana are immunomodulating and can potentially alter cytokine secretion of human PBMC.
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U2 - 10.1016/0192-0561(91)90160-9
DO - 10.1016/0192-0561(91)90160-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 1667651
AN - SCOPUS:0025786050
SN - 1567-5769
VL - 13
SP - 1091
EP - 1097
JO - International Immunopharmacology
JF - International Immunopharmacology
IS - 8
ER -