Cannabis is a plant with high pharmacological and nutrition values, its potentialities and applications are not only circumscribed to cannabinoids biological activities, but also defined by noncannabinoid compounds. The combination of other cannabinoids together with noncannabinoid components could enhance the beneficial effects of THC and could reduce undesirable side effects.

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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEA crosstalk between the immune system and depression has been postulated, with monocytes/macrophages and cytokines having a key role in this interaction. In this study, we examined whether vortioxetine, a multimodal anti-depressive drug, was endowed with anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activity, leading to immunomodulatory effects on human monocytes and macrophages. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHHuman monocytes were isolated from buffy coats and used as such or differentiated into M1 and M2 macrophages. Cells were treated with vortioxetine before or after differentiation, and their responsiveness was evaluated. This included oxy-radical and TNFα production, TNFα and PPARγ gene expression and NF-κB translocation. KEY RESULTSVortioxetine significantly reduced the PMA-induced oxidative burst in monocytes and in macrophages (M1 and M2), causing a concomitant shift of macrophages from the M1 to the M2 phenotype, demonstrated by a significant decrease in the expression of the surface marker CD86 and an increase in CD206. Moreover, treatment of monocytes with vortioxetine rendered macrophages derived from this population less sensitive to PMA, as it reduced the oxidative burst, NF-kB translocation, TNFα release and expression while inducing PPARγ gene expression. FACS analysis showed a significant decrease in the CD14 + /CD16 + /CD86 + M1 population. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONSThese results demonstrate that in human monocytes/macrophages, vortioxetine has antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effects driving the polarization of macrophages towards their alternative phenotype. These findings suggest that vortioxetine, alongside its antidepressive effect, may have immunomodulatory properties. Abbreviations

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