No evidence for direct modulatory effects of Δ 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 Δ 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ 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 Δ 9-THC due to the absence of functional CB 2-receptor expression.