Interacción del cannabidiol con rafts lipídicos

Abstract

Cannabidiol (CBD), a phytocannabinoid with a wide pharmacological spectrum, could interfere in processes at the cell membrane because of its lipid nature. The hypothesis of this study is that CBD interacts with lipid rafts, membrane domains enriched in sphingolipids and cholesterol essentials for cell signaling. The analysis of the physicochemical properties of membranes and interfacial monolayers made of a lipid raft model composed of palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin and cholesterol (1:1:1 molar ratio) revealed that (1) CBD binds to lipid rafts, segregating sphingomyelin from cholesterol and reducing lipid packing, and (2) CBD aggregation limits its interaction with membranes. These results suggest a new mechanism of action by which this drug could alter cell signaling.