Inhibition of macrophage nitric oxide production by tetrahydrocannabinol in vivo and in vitro

• Published in: International journal of immunopharmacology Vol. 18; no. 12; pp. 749 - 752
• Main Authors: Coffey, Ronald G., Snella, Elizabeth, Johnson, Karen, Pross, Susan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Science 01.12.1996
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Survival - drug effects; Dronabinol - pharmacology; Drug addictions; Female; interferon-7; Interferon-gamma - pharmacology; lipopolysaccharide; Lipopolysaccharides - pharmacology; macrophage; Macrophages, Peritoneal - cytology; Macrophages, Peritoneal - enzymology; Macrophages, Peritoneal - metabolism; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - antagonists & inhibitors; Nitric Oxide - biosynthesis; Nitric Oxide Synthase - antagonists & inhibitors; Nitric Oxide Synthase - genetics; tetrahydrocannabinol; Toxicology; macrophage; nitric oxide; tetrahydrocannabinol; lipopolysaccharide; interferon-7; Immunopathology; Toxicity; Rodentia; Cannabinoid; In vitro; In vivo; Vertebrata; Immunosuppression; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Nitric oxide; Drug of abuse; Mechanism of action; Macrophage
• ISSN: 0192-0561; 1879-3495
• DOI: 10.1016/S0192-0561(97)85557-9

Δ 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, 10 gg) was administered intraperitoneally to thioglycollate-treated mice. After 18 h, peritoneal macrophages were harvested and nitric oxide (NO·) production was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 μg/ml) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ, 0.1–10 U/ml). Macrophages from THC-treated mice produced about half as much NO· as controls. THC (1 μg/ml) added in vitro caused further inhibition. Greater inhibition was observed at the lower (0.1-0.3 U/ml) IFN-γ concentrations. The results suggest that the use of THC can reduce NO· production and thereby affect host defense mechanisms, inflammation and autoimmune responses.