Inhibition of leukocyte adhesion by the in vivo and in vitro administration of cannabinoids

• Published in: Life sciences (1973) Vol. 47; no. 9; p. 753
• Main Authors: Audette, C A, Burstein, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 1990
• Subjects: Animals; Arachidonic Acid; Arachidonic Acids - blood; Cell Adhesion - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Dronabinol - analogs & derivatives; Dronabinol - pharmacology; Ethanol - pharmacology; Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acids - blood; Indomethacin - pharmacology; Isomerism; Leukocytes - drug effects; Leukocytes - physiology; Male; Masoprocol - pharmacology; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Prostaglandins - pharmacology; Reference Values
• ISSN: 0024-3205
• DOI: 10.1016/0024-3205(90)90547-5

Cannabinoids have been shown to affect various aspects of arachidonic acid metabolism both in vivo and in vitro. Eicosanoid metabolites of arachidonate and related octadecanoate are believed to be involved in cell adhesion processes as agonists in some instances and as antagonists in other cases. This report shows data in which cannabinoids exhibit marked inhibitory effects on the adhesion of mouse peritoneal cells to polystyrene culture dishes. The effects could be seen by in vivo administration of the drugs as well as by direct exposure of the cells in vitro. The data suggest that this inhibition of adhesion is mediated by one or more products generated by stimulation of a lipoxygenase pathway.