title: No evidence for direct modulatory effects of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.
abstract: The effects of cannabinoids (CB) that have been reported in various leukocyte populations were mainly immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory. Almost nothing is known, however, about direct interactions of cannabinoids with human polymorphonuclear cells (PMN), although m-RNA for the cannabinoid receptor-2 (CB(2)) was found in human PMN. In order to investigate a potential influence of cannabinoids on human PMN, the migration and phagocytosis of PMN were studied in the presence of Delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) at final concentrations between 10(-10) and 10(-5) M. No effect was detectable on these essential PMN functions; and besides, no CB(2)-receptor expression could be detected using the Western blotting technique. Thus, circulating human PMN from healthy individuals remain unaffected by Delta(9)-THC due to the absence of functional CB(2)-receptor expression.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital/AKH, Vienna Medical University, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. engelbert.deusch@akh-wien.ac.at
authors.forename: Engelbert
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deusch
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kraft
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nahlik
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weigl
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hohenegger
authors.forename: Hans Georg
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kress
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration / Q000187:drug effects; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2; D013759:Dronabinol