Bango, Cannabis sativa, with its major psychoactive component Delta-9-
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), elicits a variety of effects in experimental animals
and humans. Although, cannabinoids have a neuroprotective, anti-nauseating
and anti-emetic, anti-arrhythmic properties, enhance the anti-proliferative effect
in human breast cancer and increase nerve growth factor production yet they
have been shown to be immunosuppressive and to decrease host resistance to
bacterial, protozoan, and viral infections. Macrophages, T lymphocytes, and
natural killer (NIC) cells appear to be major targets of the immunosuppressive
effects of cannabinoid inhalation . Definitive data which directly link bango abuse
to increased susceptibility to infection in humans currently is unavailable.
However, cumulative reports indicating that cannabinoid inhalation alters
resistance to infection in vitro and in a variety of experimental animals support
the hypothesis that a similar effect occurs in humans. In this study, in order to
clarify the effects of acute and chronic cannabinoid (bango) inhalation on
different immunlogic parameters, macrophages phagocytic power and index and
uptake of Candida albicans in bango exposed rats, serum interleukin (IL) IL-2
and IL-6 concentrations and splenic weight and splenocytes were determined .
Acute bango inhalation resulted in a statistically significant reduction in
phagocytic index ( p < 0.05 ) as well as IL-2 and IL-6 concentrations ( p <0.001
and p< 0.001 respectively). There was no change in splenic weight and
splenocytes histologically. Chronic bango inhalation resulted in statistically
significant reduction in phagocytic index of macrophages (p <0.01) and it was
still diminished in recovered rats. IL-2 and IL-6 concentrations were also
significantly highly reduced (p < 0.001 and p< 0.001 respectively) in chronic
smoking , yet it showed sudden increase in recovered rats, but it did not reach the
control levels. As regards splenic lymphocytes, chronic bango inhalation induced
suppressions of lymphocytic mass and splenic weights, which did not recover to
normal control levels. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that, bango
inhalation has an immuno-modulatory effect on different parameters of the
immune system which differs with the duration of intake and the type of immune
cell or parameter affected . Where the phagocytic power of macrophages, the
levels of IL-2 and IL-6 were decreased, the overall immunological capacity were
lowered to the level that permit mild and severe bacterial, viral and parasitic
diseases prevail among bango abusers. Immunological recovery after cessation of
the inhalation may occur. |
