title: Suppressive effects of cannabidiol on antigen-specific antibody production and functional activity of splenocytes in ovalbumin-sensitized BALB/c mice.
abstract: Cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabis-based medicines are potential therapeutic agents. Because the immune system has been widely demonstrated to be affected by psychoactive cannabinoids, such as Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, the objective of the present studies is to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of CBD, the major non-psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana. BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally administered with a single dose of CBD (5-20 mg/kg) prior to ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization, and the serum production of antigen-specific antibodies was measured 7 days post OVA sensitization. The serum level of OVA-specific IgM was significantly attenuated by a high dose of CBD (20 mg/kg), and OVA-specific IgG(1) and IgG(2a) by all 3 doses of CBD. Concordantly, splenocytes of mice administered with CBD (5 or 20 mg/kg) produced less IL-2, IL-4 and IFN-gamma than those of vehicle-treated controls, upon ex vivo stimulation with phorbol ester plus calcium ionophore. Likewise, T-cell mitogen (concanavalin A)-induced proliferation of splenocytes was also markedly suppressed in mice administered with CBD. Furthermore, the observed ex vivo effects of CBD on cytokine production and T-cell proliferation were confirmed in splenocytes directly exposed to CBD (1-8 microM) in vitro, indicating a direct effect by CBD. Taken together, the results demonstrated that CBD markedly suppressed antigen-specific antibody production in OVA-sensitized mice, and suggest that CBD-mediated suppression of humoral immunity could be mediated by the impaired functions of splenocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. tonyjan@ntu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Tong-Rong
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: Shu-Ting
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Hsin-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Mei-Hsiu
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002185:Cannabidiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007376:Interleukin-2; D002185:Cannabidiol; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010047:Ovalbumin