Oral administration of ajulemic acid (AjA), a synthetic nonpsychoactive cannabinoid acid,
prevents joint cartilage and bone damage in an experimental model of arthritis in rats. Joint
tissue injury in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is due in part to activation of T
lymphocytes in the synovium, and T lymphocytes in synovium of RA patients are resistant to
apoptosis. Thus, a potential mechanism whereby AjA prevents joint tissue injury in the
animal model might be enhanced apoptosis of T lymphocytes. Apoptosis of human T cells in …