Delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol inhibits macrophage protein expression in response to bacterial immunomodulators

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (delta‐9‐THC), the major psychoactive component of marihuana, on macrophage protein expression in response to bacterial immunomodula‐tors. Peritoneal macrophages of (B₆C₃)F₁ mice receiving Propionibacterium acnes exhibited a novel protein profile when compared to resident or vehicle‐treated macrophages. In contrast, macrophages from mice treated with P. acnes in concert with delta‐9‐THC exhibited profiles for which the majority of protein species reverted to patterns seen in profiles of resident or vehicle‐treated macrophages. Treatment of the murine macrophage line P388D1 (DBA/2) in vitro with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) resulted in the hyperproduction of a subset of proteins ranging from 73 to 18 kD relative molecular weight. Coexposure of the P388D1 cells to LPS and 10⁻⁷ M to 10⁻⁵M delta‐9‐THC resulted in a dose‐related depletion of these proteins. These results suggest that delta‐9‐THC suppresses the expression of proteins elicited by macrophage bacterial immunomodulators.