Abstract
Cannabinoids have long been proposed to affect the immune system, especially as one of the cannabinoid receptors, the cannabinoid receptor-2 (CB2R) has been found almost exclusively on immune cells. Here, using human in vitro activated peripheral blood-derived T lymphocytes we investigated the long-term changes in cannabinoid receptor protein expression following cellular activation and the effects of cannabinoids on migration. We report that resting T lymphocytes do not detectably express either the cannabinoid receptor-1 (CB1R) or CB2R at the protein level. However, CB2R protein expression is upregulated in a biphasic manner in T lymphocytes following activation by superantigen. The cannabinoids 2-AG and JWH-133 were found to elicit activation of downstream biochemical effectors (as assessed by the phosphorylation of the ERK1/2 MAP kinases). Neither 2-AG nor JWH-133 induced chemotaxis in day 5 activated T lymphocytes, when receptor expression was at its highest. Interestingly, both 2-AG and JWH-133 inhibited CXCL12-induced chemotaxis, suggesting a modulatory role for cannabinoids in activated T lymphocytes. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 360-371 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | International Immunopharmacology |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2007 |