title: Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol decreases cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity to herpes simplex virus type 1-infected cells.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC), the major psychoactive component of marijuana, on T lymphocyte functional competence against herpes simplex virus Type 1 (HSV1) infection. Spleen cells from C3H/HeJ (H-2k) mice primed with HSV1 and exposed to delta 9-THC were examined for anti-HSV1 cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity. Flow cytometry was used to determine whether delta 9-THC altered T cytotoxic (Lyt-2+) and T helper (L3T4+) lymphocyte numbers or cell ratios. Nomarski optics microscopy was used to determine whether effector lymphocytes from drug-treated mice were able to bind to virally infected L929 (H-2k) target cells. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that CTL from mice exposed to delta 9-THC were deficient in anti-HSV1 cytolytic activity. delta 9-THC in vivo treatment had little effect on the number of T lymphocytes expressing the Lyt-2 or L3T4 antigens. Nomarski optics microscopy revealed that the CTL from the drug-treated mice were able to bind specifically to the HSV1-infected targets. However, delta 9-THC in vivo exposure affected CTL cytoplasmic polarization toward the virus-infected target cell. CTL granule reorientation toward the effector cell-target cell interface following cell conjugation occurred at a lower frequency in co-cultures containing CTL from drug-treated mice. These results suggest that delta 9-THC elicits dysfunction in CTL by altering effector cell-target cell postconjugation events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0678.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fischer-Stenger
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Updegrove
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Cabral
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008853:Microscopy; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D013759:Dronabinol