A Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulator Reduces Neuropathic Pain in the Mouse with no Psychoactive Effects.

Posted on June 9, 2015 by David

“The CB1 receptor represents a promising target for the treatment of several disorders including pain-related disease states.

However, therapeutic applications of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other CB1 orthosteric receptor agonists remain limited because of psychoactive side effects. Positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) offer an alternative approach to enhance CB1 receptor function for therapeutic gain with the promise of reduced side effects…

These data suggest that ZCZ011 acts as a CB1 PAM and provide the first proof of principle that CB1 PAMs offer a promising strategy to treat neuropathic and inflammatory pain with minimal or no cannabimimetic side effects.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26052038

Full FAAH inhibition combined with partial monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition: Augmented and sustained antinociceptive effects with negligible cannabimimetic side effects in mice.

Posted on May 23, 2015 by David

“Inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) or monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), the primary hydrolytic enzymes for the respective endocannabinoids, N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG), produces antinociception, but with minimal cannabimimetic side effects.

Although selective inhibitors of either enzyme often show partial efficacy in various nociceptive models, their combined blockade elicits augmented antinociceptive effects, but side effects emerge. Moreover, complete and prolonged MAGL blockade leads to CB1 receptor functional tolerance, which represents another challenge in this potential therapeutic strategy.

Therefore, the present study tested whether full FAAH inhibition, combined with partial MAGL inhibition, would produce sustained antinociceptive effects with minimal cannabimimetic side effects…

Thus, full FAAH inhibition combined with partial MAGL inhibition reduces neuropathic and inflammatory pain states, with minimal cannabimimetic effects.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25998048

The cannabinoid CB₂ receptor-selective phytocannabinoid beta-caryophyllene exerts analgesic effects in mouse models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain.

Posted on May 10, 2015 by David

“The widespread plant volatile beta-caryophyllene (BCP) was recently identified as a natural selective agonist of the peripherally expressedcannabinoid receptor 2 (CB₂).

…the natural plant product BCP may be highly effective in the treatment of long lasting, debilitating pain states. Our results have important implications for the role of dietary factors in the development and modulation of chronic pain conditions.

Cannabis preparations, which have been used since thousands of years for the treatment of pain have recently come again into the focus as potential therapeutics for inflammatory and neuropathic pain conditions. Currently, cannabis extracts and synthetic preparations of the psychoactive cannabis compound Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have been approved in many countries for clinical pain management at doses and formulations that show on only minor central side effects…

A natural selective agonist for CB2 receptors is the plant volatile BCP, which represents a dietary phytocannabinoid. BCP is found in large amounts in the essential oils of many common spices and food plants… Several health effects have been attributed to BCP or medicinal plants containing BCP, including anti-inflammatory, local anesthetic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-fibrotic and anxiolytic-like activity.

In the present study, we investigated the analgesic effects of BCP in formalin-induced inflammation model and in a model of neuropathic pain, which involves the partial ligation of the sciatic nerve… BCP is the first natural CB2 receptor agonist, which could orally reduce inflammatory responses in different animal models of pain.

Thus, it is likely that BCP belongs to a group of common plant natural products with major potential impact on human health.

The oral intake of this dietary cannabinoid with vegetable food could be advantageous in the daily routine clinical practice over synthetic cannabinoid agonists.”

http://www.europeanneuropsychopharmacology.com/article/S0924-977X(13)00302-7/fulltext

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/neuropathic-pain/

Cannabinoid-mediated modulation of neuropathic pain and microglial accumulation in a model of murine type I diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain.

Posted on May 10, 2015 by David

“Despite the frequency of diabetes mellitus and its relationship to diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and neuropathic pain (NeP), our understanding of underlying mechanisms leading to chronic pain in diabetes remains poor.

Recent evidence has demonstated a prominent role of microglial cells in neuropathic pain states.

One potential therapeutic option gaining clinical acceptance is the cannabinoids, for which cannabinoidreceptors (CB) are expressed on neurons and microglia. We studied the accumulation and activation of spinal and thalamic microglia in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic CD1 mice and the impact of cannabinoid receptor agonism/antagonism during the development of a chronic NeP state.

The prevention of microglial accumulation and activation in the dorsal spinal cord was associated with limited development of a neuropathic pain state.

Cannabinoids demonstrated antinociceptive effects in this mouse model of DPN.

These results suggest that such interventions may also benefit humans with DPN, and their early introduction may also modify the development of the NeP state.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20236533

“Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a component in marijuana, acts at both CB1 and CB2 receptors, but other forms of cannabinoids such as cannabinol and cannabidiol act predominantly at CB2 receptors. Such CB2 agonists may be potential anti-inflammatory therapies, antagonizing the 2-AG-induced recruitment of microglia and impacting upon development of an inflammatory state. Such properties may permit the cannabinoids to act in the prevention of microglial activation, perhaps limiting the development of neuropathic pain.

The present data confirm the efficacy of cannabinoid agonists, both for the CB1 and CB2 receptor, in modulation of acute thermal and tactile hypersensitivity as features of neuropathic pain. Furthermore, CB1 agonism from the onset of the offending stimulus (diabetes) normally leading to neuropathic pain ameliorated the development of a neuropathic pain state.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2845559/

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/neuropathic-pain/

CB1 Knockout Mice Unveil Sustained CB2-Mediated Anti-Allodynic Effects of the Mixed CB1/CB2 Agonist CP55,940 in a Mouse Model of Paclitaxel-Induced Neuropathic Pain.

Posted on April 24, 2015 by David

“Cannabinoids suppress neuropathic pain through activation of cannabinoid CB1 and/or CB2 receptors. However, unwanted CB1-mediated cannabimimetic effects limit clinical use…

Our results using the mixed CB1/CB2 agonist document that CB1 and CB2 receptor activations produce mechanistically distinct suppression of neuropathic pain.

Our study highlights the therapeutic potential of targeting cannabinoid CB2 receptors to bypass unwanted central effects associated with CB1receptor activation.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25904556

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/neuropathic-pain/

Intrathecal Injection of JWH-015 Attenuates Bone Cancer Pain Via Time-Dependent Modification of Pro-inflammatory Cytokines Expression and Astrocytes Activity in Spinal Cord.

Posted on April 22, 2015 by David

“Cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) agonists display potential analgesic effects in acute and neuropathic pain.

Overall, our results provided evidences for the persistent participation of inflammation reaction in the progression of bone cancer pain, and demonstrated that JWH-015 reduced the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α and inhibited astrocytes activation in a time-dependent manner, thereby displaying an analgesic effect.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25896633

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/bone-cancer-2/

CB1 receptors modulate affective behaviour induced by neuropathic pain.

Posted on April 12, 2015 by David

“Patients suffering from chronic pain are often also diagnosed with a psychiatric condition, in particular generalized anxiety and major depression. The underlying pathomechanisms contributing to this comorbidity, however, are not entirely clear.

In this manuscript we have focussed on the potential role of the cannabinoid receptor CB1, because it is known to modulate neuronal circuits contributing to chronic pain states and affective behaviours.

For this purpose we analysed the consequences of a partial sciatic nerve ligation on anxiety- and depression related behaviours in mice lacking CB1 receptors.

Our results show that the development of mechanical hypersensitivity was similar in CB1 deficient mice and wild type controls. However, CB1 knockouts showed much more pronounced behavioural manifestations of anxiety-related behaviors in the light-dark and zero-maze tests, sucrose anhedonia, and disturbed home-cage activity.

These results indicate that the endocannabinoid system affects chronic pain-induced mood changes through CB1 receptors.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25863168

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/neuropathic-pain/

Efficacy of Inhaled Cannabis on Painful Diabetic Neuropathy.

Posted on April 7, 2015 by David

“A randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled crossover study was conducted in 16 patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy to assess the short-term efficacy and tolerability of inhaled cannabis.

In a cross-over design, each participant was exposed to a single dosing session of placebo, low (1% tetrahydrocannabinol, THC), medium (4% THC), or high (7% THC) doses of cannabis…

This small, short-term, placebo-controlled trial of inhaled cannabis demonstrated a dose dependent reduction in diabetic peripheral neuropathy pain in patients with treatment-refractory pain.

This adds preliminary evidence to support further research on the efficacy of the cannabinoids in neuropathic pain.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25843054

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/neuropathic-pain/

Influence of nitric oxide synthase or cyclooxygenase inhibitors on cannabinoids activity in streptozotocin-induced neuropathy.

Posted on February 27, 2015 by David

“The results of this study seemed to indicate that the interaction between cannabinoid, COX-2 and NOS(s) systems might exist…

Concomitant administration of small doses of CB1 and/or CB2 receptor agonists and COX-2 or NOS inhibitors can be effective in the alleviation of diabetic neuropathic pain.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25712641

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/neuropathic-pain/

Are Cannabinoids Effective for Orofacial Pain States?

Posted on February 27, 2015 by David

“…there is increasing attention being given in the media as well as in the biomedical sciences to the use as analgesic agents of the crude extracts of plants of the genus Cannabis (eg, marijuana) and their active ingredient delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC).

These cannabinoid compounds have been reported in the biomedical literature to be beneficial in the treatment of some types of neuropathic pain and other pain states…

This review has found evidence indicating that they may be effective analgesic agents for neuropathic pain conditions refractory to other therapeutic approaches…

The clinical findings pointing to the usefulness of the cannabinoids for pain relief are supported by a growing body of evidence from basic science investigations addressing the possible efficacy and mechanisms of action of the cannabinoids in animal models of acute or chronic pain.

These preclinical findings add to the growing evidence that cannabinoid receptor agonists may be effective agents for the treatment of neuropathic pain and other types of pain.

They also point to their possible clinical utility in acute or chronic orofacial pain conditions, and thereby suggest an affirmative answer applies to the question posed in the title of this editorial.”

http://www.quintpub.com/journals/ofph/abstract.php?article_id=15025#.VPBsU033-iw

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/pain-2/