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Cannabinoids lead to enhanced virulence of the smallpox vaccine (vaccinia) virus
- Source :
- Immunobiology. 216:670-677
- Publication Year :
- 2011
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2011.
-
Abstract
- Indian hemp is used since thousands of years as herbal drug. We found that a single dose of cannabis resin was equally active as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) enhancing severity and duration of symptoms in vaccinia virus infected mice. Cowpox virus did not cause symptomatic disease, but some reduction of specific antibody production was observed in drug treated animals. In vitro cannabis was superior to THC alone at inhibiting mitogen stimulated proliferation of human and mouse spleen cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Also resin sub-fractions other than THC, cannabidiol and cannabinol, recovered also from cigarette smoke, were found inhibitory, suggesting additional involvement of constituents other than psychoactive THC. The immunoregulatory effects must be differentiated from apoptotic effects on spleen cells and lymphocytic mouse cell lines, which were observed with resin and THC but not with cannabidiol or cannabinol. A significant contribution of cytotoxic effects seems unlikely as drug treated lymphocytes were still capable of producing cytokines after T-cell receptor-specific stimulation. Considering a recent case of unusually severe cowpox virus infection in a young drug taker these data confirm a risk of “soft drugs” for acquiring poxvirus infection or enhancing side effects of the smallpox vaccine and perhaps also other live vaccines.
- Subjects :
- T-Lymphocytes
Immunology
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
Apoptosis
Vaccinia virus
Pharmacology
Biology
Virus
Cell Line
Mice
chemistry.chemical_compound
Vaccinia
medicine
Animals
Humans
Immunology and Allergy
Cytotoxic T cell
Dronabinol
Cowpox virus
Smallpox vaccine
Tetrahydrocannabinol
Cell Proliferation
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Virulence
Cannabinoids
Hematology
chemistry
Antibody Formation
Leukocytes, Mononuclear
Cannabinol
Cytokines
Female
Rabbits
Mitogens
Cannabidiol
Spleen
medicine.drug
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 01712985
- Volume :
- 216
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Immunobiology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....063416d01ac2d3e98d7d743ab3e86117