Category Archives: THC (Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol)

CBN: The cancer fighting Cannabinoid

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“CBN, cannabinol, is a mildly psychoactive cannabinoid found within the cannabis plant. We examine the very complex mechanisms that give allowance for this cannabinoids entrance into the cell membrane and its effect on cannabinoid receptors and the inhibition of the enzyme adenylate cyclase that is responsible for phosphate production. Prior study bears weight accordingly; we examine this phosphate as a potent energy source, the enzymes responsible for cell replication cycle and inhibition thereof. Moreover, how IL-2, (Interleukin-2), a type of cytokine signaling molecule in the immune system stops being produced when immune T cells are exposed to cannabinoids. How IL-2 stimulates the cell cycle via promotion of the c-Fos protein and is responsible for modulation of the immune response. This is shown by Faubert and Kaminski, that administration of CBN can slow cell replication and endure cell death (apoptosis).”

http://www.imedpub.com/proceedings/cbn-the-cancer-fighting-cannabinoid-5528.html

“Programmed Cell Death (Apoptosis)” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26873/

Cannabis Oil Use by Adolescents and Young Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

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“The aim of the study was to describe use of oral or sublingual cannabis oil (CO) by adolescent and young adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

METHODS:

A descriptive study of IBD patients 13 to 23 years of age seen between January 2015 through December 2017 at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Information obtained included chart abstraction, electronic and interview self-report, and serum cannabinoid levels. We compared CO users and cannabis non-users for clinical characteristics and perceptions of risk. Users of CO provided information on routes, patterns, motivations, and perceived benefits and problems with use.

RESULTS:

The 15 users and 67 non-users were similar for clinical characteristics and pain and appetite scores. 9 of 15 (60%) CO users had used in the past 30 days, an average of 22 ± 9 times; and 4 used daily. A variety of strengths and CBD:THC ratios were reported. Most common perceived effect of use was on sleep quality, nausea, and increase in appetite. Of the 15 users, 6 used only CO and no additional forms of cannabis. Of these 6 CO only users, 5 reported a medical reason for use, most commonly to relieve pain.

CONCLUSIONS:

Adolescent and young adults with IBD used oral CO and many used other cannabis products as well. Users perceived some medical benefit. Care teams should strive for open communication about use until further information on safety and efficacy becomes available.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30801394

Cannabinoid receptor 2 deficiency exacerbates inflammation and neutrophil recruitment.

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“Cannabinoid receptor (CB)2 is an immune cell-localized GPCR that has been hypothesized to regulate the magnitude of inflammatory responses.

However, there is currently no consensus as to the mechanism by which CB2 mediates its anti-inflammatory effects in vivo. To address this question, we employed a murine dorsal air pouch model with wild-type and CB2-/- 8-12-wk-old female and male C57BL/6 mice and found that acute neutrophil and lymphocyte antigen 6 complex, locus Chi monocyte recruitment in response to Zymosan was significantly enhanced in CB2-/- mice.

Additionally, levels of matrix metalloproteinase 9 and the chemokines C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL)2, CCL4, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 in CB2-/- pouch exudates were elevated at earlier time points. Importantly, using mixed bone marrow chimeras, we revealed that the proinflammatory phenotype in CB2-/- mice is neutrophil-intrinsic rather than stromal cell-dependent. Indeed, neutrophils isolated from CB2-/- mice exhibited an enhanced migration-related transcriptional profile and increased adhesive phenotype, and treatment of human neutrophils with a CB2 agonist blocked their endothelial transmigration.

Overall, we have demonstrated that CB2 plays a nonredundant role during acute neutrophil mobilization to sites of inflammation and, as such, it could represent a therapeutic target for the development of novel anti-inflammatory compounds to treat inflammatory human diseases.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30799631

https://www.fasebj.org/doi/10.1096/fj.201802524R

Effect of cannabis on weight and metabolism in first-episode non-affective psychosis: Results from a three-year longitudinal study.

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“Recent evidence indicates a protective effect of cannabis on weight gain and related metabolic alterations. However, there are no previous studies on the long-term longitudinal effects of cannabis on first-episode drug-naïve patients, which would thereby avoid the confounding effects of chronicity and previous treatment exposure.

We aimed to explore the effect of cannabis smoking on weight and lipid/glycaemic metabolic measures in a sample of first-episode non-affective psychosis patients.

RESULTS::

Cannabis users at baseline presented a lower weight ( F=14.85, p<0.001), body mass index ( F=13.14, p<0.001), total cholesterol ( F=4.85, p=0.028) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ( F=6.26, p=0.013) compared to non-users. These differences were also observed after three years: weight ( F=8.07, p=0.005), body mass index ( F=4.66, p=0.032) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ( F=3.91, p=0.049). Moreover, those patients discontinuing cannabis use presented a higher increase in weight ( F=2.98, p=0.052), body mass index ( F=2.73, p=0.067) and triglyceride-high-density lipoprotein ratio ( F=2.72, p=0.067) than the ‘non-users’ and ‘continuers’.

CONCLUSIONS::

The study suggests that cannabis use may produce a protective effect against weight gain and related metabolic alterations in psychosis.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30702972

https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881118822173

Activation of cannabinoid 2 receptor relieves colonic hypermotility in a rat model of irritable bowel syndrome.

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“Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disease with intestinal dysmotility, whose mechanism remains elusive.

The endocannabinoid system is emerging as an important modulator of gastrointestinal (GI) motility in multiple diseases, but its involvement in IBS is unknown.

We aimed to determine whether cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptor modulates intestinal motility associated with stress-induced IBS.

CONCLUSION:

CB2 receptor may exert an important inhibitory effect in stress-induced colonic hypermotility by modulating NO synthesis through p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. AM1241 could be used as a potential drug to treat disorders with colonic hypermotility.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30793435

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nmo.13555

The Association between Cannabis Product Characteristics and Symptom Relief

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Scientific Reports

“Across product characteristics, only higher THC levels were independently associated with greater symptom relief and prevalence of positive and negative side effects. In contrast, CBD potency levels were generally not associated with significant symptom changes or experienced side effects.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30804402

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-39462-1

“Notorious psychoactive chemical THC more important for therapeutic effects in cannabis than previously believed. Contrary to popular media-reports and scientific dogma, the psychoactive chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol or “THC,” showed the strongest correlation with therapeutic relief and far less evidence for the benefits of relying on the more socially acceptable chemical, cannabidiol or “CBD.””  https://news.unm.edu/news/notorious-psychoactive-chemical-thc-more-important-for-therapeutic-effects-in-cannabis-than-previously-believed

“THC more important for therapeutic effects in cannabis than previously believed”  https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-02-thc-important-therapeutic-effects-cannabis.html

“THC found more important for therapeutic effects in cannabis than originally thought” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190226112353.htm

“Study: Patients Find More Relief In Marijuana‘s Physchoactive Compound THC Than In CBD.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2019/02/27/study-patients-find-more-relief-in-marijuanas-physchoactive-compound-thc-than-in-cbd/#384ee158717a

Preliminary results from a pilot study examining brain structure in older adult cannabis users and nonusers.

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Cover image Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging

“Exploring associations among cannabis use, brain structure, and cognitive function in older adults offers an opportunity to observe potential harm or benefit of cannabis.

This pilot study assessed structural magnetic resonance imaging in older adults who were either current cannabis users (n = 28; mean age 69.8 years, 36% female) or nonusers (n = 28; mean age 66.8 years, 61% female).

Users and nonusers did not differ in terms of total gray or white matter volumes controlling for age and depression symptoms, but users showed greater regional volume of left putamen, lingual cortex, and rostral middle frontal cortex.

No significant differences between groups were observed in performance on a brief computerized cognitive battery.

These results suggest that cannabis use likely does not have a widespread impact on overall cortical volume while controlling for age.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30785022

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925492718302683?via%3Dihub

Cannabis use in youth is associated with limited alterations in brain structure

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“There were no significant differences by cannabis group in global or regional brain volumes, cortical thickness, or gray matter density, and no significant group by age interactions were found. Follow-up analyses indicated that values of structural neuroimaging measures by cannabis group were similar across regions, and any differences among groups were likely of a small magnitude. In sum, structural brain metrics were largely similar among adolescent and young adult cannabis users and non-users. Our data converge with prior large-scale studies suggesting small or limited associations between cannabis use and structural brain measures in youth.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30780151

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-019-0347-2

Activation of ATP-sensitive K-channel promotes the anticonvulsant properties of cannabinoid receptor agonist through mitochondrial ATP level reduction.

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“Cannabinoid receptor (CBR) agonist could act as a protective agent against seizure susceptibility in animal models of epilepsy.

Studies have shown that potassium channels could play a key role in ameliorating neuronal excitability.

In this study, we attempted to evaluate how CBRs and Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium channels collaborate to affect seizure susceptibility by changing the clonic seizure threshold (CST).

In conclusion, CB1 agonist accomplishes at least a part of its anticonvulsant actions through ATP-sensitive potassium channels, probably by decreasing the mitochondrial ATP level to open the potassium channel to induce its anticonvulsant effect.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30776677

https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1525505018308503

WIN55,212-2 induces caspase-independent apoptosis on human glioblastoma cells by regulating HSP70, p53 and Cathepsin D.

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Toxicology in Vitro

“Despite the standard approaches to treat the highly aggressive and invasive glioblastoma (GBM), it remains incurable.

In this sense, cannabinoids highlight as a promising tool, because this tumor overexpresses CB1 and/or CB2 receptors and being, therefore, can be susceptible to cannabinoids treatment.

Thus, this work investigated the action of the cannabinoid agonist WIN55-212-2 on GBM cell lines and non-malignant cell lines, in vitro and in vivo. WIN was selectively cytotoxic to GBM cells. These presented blebbing and nuclear alterations in addition to cell shrinkage and chromatin condensation. WIN also significantly inhibited the migration of GAMG and U251 cells.

Finally, the data also showed that the antitumor effects of WIN are exerted, at least to some extent, by the expression of p53 and increased cathepsin D in addition to the decreased expression of HSP70.This data can indicate caspase-independent cell death mechanism. In addition, WIN decreased tumoral perimeter as well as caused a reduction the blood vessels in this area, without causing lysis, hemorrhage or blood clotting.

So, the findings herein presented reinforce the usefulness of cannabinoids as a candidate for further evaluation in treatment in glioblastoma treatment.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30776504

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0887233318307537?via%3Dihub