Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the effects of cannabinoid agonists and antagonists on neutrophil behaviors in response to inflammatory stimulation. The neutrophil behavior was observed in the microvasculature of hamster cheek pouch using a trans-illumination microscope. Superfusion of leukotriene B4 caused an increase in the number of neutrophils migrating through the endothelium outside the venules. The migration induced by leukotriene B4 was significantly attenuated in hamsters receiving WIN55212-2, a synthetic non-selective cannabinoid agonist, prior to the leukotriene B4 superfusion. The inhibitory effect of WIN55212-2 was abolished by AM251, a selective CB1 antagonist, and also by AM630, a selective CB2 antagonist. These results suggest that augmentation of the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid system could produce the inhibition of neutrophil migration and contribute to suppression of inflammatory derangement.
