TY - JOUR
T1 - Suppression by delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol of interleukin 2-induced lymphocyte proliferation and lymphokine-activated killer cell activity
AU - Kawakami, Yutaka
AU - Klein, Thomas W.
AU - Newton, Catherin
AU - Djeu, Julie Y.
AU - Specter, Steven
AU - Friedman, Herman
PY - 1988
Y1 - 1988
N2 - The major psychoactive marijuana component, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), suppressed proliferation of murine spleen cells stimulated with recombinant human interleukin 2 (IL-2) and also suppressed the appearance of the lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell phenomenon in IL-2-treated spleen cell preparations. Cell function was depressed in a dose-dependent manner with as little as 2.5 μg/ml THC (8μM). In addition, spleen cells previously stimulated in culture with IL-2 and then incubated with THC for 4 h prior to target cell addition, displayed suppressed cytolytic activity against both YAC-1 and EL-4 tumor targets. Killing of EL 4 cells was suppressd at lower drug doses than the killing of YAC-1 targets. These results suggest that THC can suppress several important functions of IL-2 including clonal expansion of lymphocytes, expansion of killer cell populations and stimulation of killer cell cytotoxic activity.
AB - The major psychoactive marijuana component, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), suppressed proliferation of murine spleen cells stimulated with recombinant human interleukin 2 (IL-2) and also suppressed the appearance of the lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell phenomenon in IL-2-treated spleen cell preparations. Cell function was depressed in a dose-dependent manner with as little as 2.5 μg/ml THC (8μM). In addition, spleen cells previously stimulated in culture with IL-2 and then incubated with THC for 4 h prior to target cell addition, displayed suppressed cytolytic activity against both YAC-1 and EL-4 tumor targets. Killing of EL 4 cells was suppressd at lower drug doses than the killing of YAC-1 targets. These results suggest that THC can suppress several important functions of IL-2 including clonal expansion of lymphocytes, expansion of killer cell populations and stimulation of killer cell cytotoxic activity.
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U2 - 10.1016/0192-0561(88)90137-3
DO - 10.1016/0192-0561(88)90137-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 2844686
AN - SCOPUS:0023694242
SN - 0192-0561
VL - 10
SP - 485
EP - 488
JO - International Journal of Immunopharmacology
JF - International Journal of Immunopharmacology
IS - 4
ER -