Effects of phytocannabinoids CBD, CBDV, CBG, CBN, and THC on murine cell cultures

Phytocannabinoids (PCs) affect cells by receptor binding and non-receptor mediated mechanisms. They are discussed as putative drugs in neurodegenerative diseases. In our study, we investigated the effects of cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabidivarine (CBDV), and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on murine dissociated mesencephalic cultures and neuroblastoma (N18TG2) cells. Cannabinoids (0.1 to 10µM) were administered for 48h to either cell culture. In mesencephalic cultures, dopaminergic neurons (DNs) were counted. Most PCs did not alter the number of DNs, only THC increased the count significantly (up to 118% at 10µM), whereas CBD administration led to a decrease of cell number by 20% (10µM). Glutathione levels were unchanged while all cannabinoids have similar radical scavenging characteristic (250µg Trolox/mg substance) except THC which showed nearly doubled values in a DPPH assay (280µg Trolox/mg substance). N18TG2 cells showed some vulnerability to most PCs. As shown by alamar blue assay and propidium iodide uptake measurements. A slight reduction of cell degeneration could be detected only at high doses of THC. Increased survival cells in THC treated cultures might be related to its radical scavenging abilities.