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Cannabinoid exposure during pregnancy and its impact on immune function

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Abstract

Cannabinoids are the most commonly abused illicit drugs worldwide. While cannabis can be beneficial for certain heath conditions, abuse of potent synthetic cannabinoids has been on the rise. Exposure to cannabinoids is also prevalent in women of child-bearing age and pregnant women. These compounds can cross the placental barrier and directly affect the fetus. They mediate their effects primarily through G-protein coupled cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. In addition to significant neurological effects, cannabinoids can trigger robust immunomodulation by altering cytokine levels, causing apoptosis of lymphoid cells and inducing suppressor cells of the immune system. Profound effects of cannabinoids on the immune system as discussed in this review, suggest that maternal exposure during pregnancy could lead to dysregulation of innate and adaptive immune system of developing fetus and offspring potentially leading to weakening of immune defenses against infections and cancer later in life. Emerging evidence also indicates the underlying role of epigenetic mechanisms causing long-lasting impact following cannabinoid exposure in utero.

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Acknowledgements

Catherine Dong and Amy Harrington received the Magellan Fellowships from the University of South Carolina. The authors’ research on cannabinoids was supported by the US National Institutes of Health (Grants DA034892 to VLH and DA020531 to KYV).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA

    Catherine Dong

  2. School of Pharmacy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA

    Amy Harrington

  3. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Catherine Dong & Amy Harrington

  4. Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Jingwen Chen & Venkatesh L. Hegde

  5. Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA

    K. Yaragudri Vinod

  6. Emotional Brain Institute, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA

    K. Yaragudri Vinod

  7. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    K. Yaragudri Vinod

  8. Department of Radiation Oncology, Institute for Academic Medicine and Research Institute, The Houston Methodist Research Institute (HMRI), 6550 Fannin St, Smith 08-077, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Muralidhar L. Hegde & Venkatesh L. Hegde

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Dong, C., Chen, J., Harrington, A. et al. Cannabinoid exposure during pregnancy and its impact on immune function. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 76, 729–743 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-018-2955-0

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