Category Archives: Uncategorized

CB2 Cannabinoid Receptor Knockout in Mice Impairs Contextual Long-Term Memory and Enhances Spatial Working Memory.

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“Neurocognitive effects of cannabinoids have been extensively studied with a focus on CB1 cannabinoid receptors because CB1 receptors have been considered the major cannabinoid receptor in the nervous system. However, recent discoveries of CB2 cannabinoid receptors in the brain demand accurate determination of whether and how CB2 receptors are involved in the cognitive effects of cannabinoids.

CB2 cannabinoid receptors are primarily involved in immune functions, but also implicated in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. Here, we examined the effects of CB2 receptor knockout in mice on memory to determine the roles of CB2 receptors in modulating cognitive function.

Our results suggest that CB2 cannabinoid receptors play diverse roles in regulating memory depending on memory types and/or brain areas.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26819779

Clinical/Therapeutic Approaches for Cannabinoid Ligands in Central and Peripheral Nervous System Diseases: Mini Review.

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“Cannabinoids, the components of Cannabis sativa Linnaeus, interact with CB1 and CB2 receptors, which are located both in the central nervous system and in the periphery and thus may exert a widespread biological activity in the body.

The main medicinal properties of cannabinoids include analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, appetite stimulation, antiemesis, and muscle relaxation effects.

This mini review aims to explore existing clinical trials that investigated the use of cannabinoids in diseases affecting the nervous system.

There is evidence that cannabinoid-based drugs may effectively control some symptoms associated with nervous system dysfunction, especially various types of pain and neurologic disorders, although studies are limited.

The efficacy of cannabinoid drugs in the treatment of nervous system diseases should be verified in future large-scale randomized clinical trials.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26818043

Social defeat leads to changes in the endocannabinoid system; an overexpression of calreticulin and motor impairment in mice.

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“Social defeat leads to changes in the endocannabinoid system; an overexpression of calreticulin and motor impairment in mice… the aim of this study was to investigate the long-lasting effects of chronic psychosocial stress on motor coordination and motor learning, CB1 receptor expression, endogenous cannabinoid ligands and gene expression in the cerebellum. After chronic psychosocial stress, motor coordination and motor learning were impaired… The present study provides evidence that chronic stress activates calreticulin and might be one of the pathological mechanisms underlying the motor coordination and motor learning dysfunctions seen in social defeat mice.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26815100

Impact of adolescent marijuana use on intelligence: Results from two longitudinal twin studies.

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“The purpose of the present study was to examine the associations of marijuana use with changes in intellectual performance in two longitudinal studies of adolescent twins.

There was no evidence of a dose-response relationship between frequency of use and intelligence quotient (IQ) change. Furthermore, marijuana-using twins failed to show significantly greater IQ decline relative to their abstinent siblings.

Evidence from these two samples suggests that observed declines in measured IQ may not be a direct result of marijuana exposure but rather attributable to familial factors that underlie both marijuana initiation and low intellectual attainment.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26787878
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4747759/
http://www.pnas.org/content/113/5/E500.long
“Short-term cannabis use in adolescence does not appear to cause IQ decline or impair executive functions, even when cannabis use reaches the level of dependence. Family background factors explain why adolescent cannabis users perform worse on IQ and executive function tests.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28734078

Medicinal Cannabis: In Vitro Validation of Vaporizers for the Smoke-Free Inhalation of Cannabis.

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“Inhalation by vaporization is a promising application mode for cannabis in medicine.

An in vitro validation of 5 commercial vaporizers was performed with THC-type and CBD-type cannabis.

Temperature-controlled, electrically-driven vaporizers efficiently decarboxylate inactive acidic cannabinoids and reliably release their corresponding neutral, active cannabinoids.

Thus, they offer a promising application mode for the safe and efficient administration of medicinal cannabis.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26784441

Hempseed as a nutritional resource: An overview

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“The seed of Cannabis sativa L. has been an important source of nutrition for thousands of years in Old World cultures. Technically a nut, hempseed typically contains over 30% oil and about 25% protein, with considerable amounts of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. Hempseed oil is over 80% in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and is an exceptionally rich source of the two essential fatty acids (EFAs) linoleic acid (18:2 omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (18:3 omega-3). The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (n6/n3) in hempseed oil is normally between 2:1 and 3:1, which is considered to be optimal for human health. Hempseed has been used to treat various disorders for thousands of years in traditional oriental medicine.” http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10681-004-4811-6

Five-year follow-up of rural Jamaican children whose mothers used marijuana during pregnancy.

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“This research provides data on the development of 59 Jamaican children, from birth to age 5 years, whose mothers used marijuana during pregnancy.

Approximately one-half of the sample used marijuana during pregnancy and were matched with non-users according to age, parity, and socioeconomic status. Testing of the children was done at 1, 3, and 30 days of age with the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scales and at ages 4 and 5 years with the McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities. Data about the child’s home environment and temperament were collected from direct observations as well as from standardized questionnaires.

The results show no significant differences in developmental testing outcomes between children of marijuana-using and non-using mothers except at 30 days of age when the babies of users had more favourable scores on two clusters of the Brazelton Scales: autonomic stability and reflexes. The developmental scores at ages 4 and 5 years were significantly correlated to certain aspects of the home environment and to regularity of basic school (preschool) attendance.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1957518

Prenatal marijuana exposure and neonatal outcomes in Jamaica: an ethnographic study.

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AAP Gateway

“Exposed and nonexposed neonates were compared at 3 days and 1 month old, using the Brazelton Neonatal Assessment Scale, including supplementary items to capture possible subtle effects.

There were no significant differences between exposed and nonexposed neonates on day 3. At 1 month, the exposed neonates showed better physiological stability and required less examiner facilitation to reach organized states.

The neonates of heavy-marijuana-using mothers had better scores on autonomic stability, quality of alertness, irritability, and self-regulation and were judged to be more rewarding for caregivers.

CONCLUSIONS:

The absence of any differences between the exposed on nonexposed groups in the early neonatal period suggest that the better scores of exposed neonates at 1 month are traceable to the cultural positioning and social and economic characteristics of mothers using marijuana that select for the use of marijuana but also promote neonatal development.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8121737

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/93/2/254

Abrupt Quitting of Long-term Heavy Recreational Cannabis Use is Not Followed by Significant Changes in Blood Pressure and Heart Rate.

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“To shed more light on the role of heart rate and blood pressure during cannabis withdrawal.

Abrupt cessation of recreational long-term daily cannabis use was not followed by significant changes in heart rate, blood and pulse pressure.

Also, these measures were not significantly correlated with the severity of the cannabis withdrawal syndrome.

The cohort’s risk for CVD was moderate (all tobacco using, overweight in 9 of 35 patients and elevation of serum C-reactive protein in many patients).

Its metabolic risk for CVD was minor considering the mostly normal blood pressure, normal serum lipids and glucose.“

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26761126

The emerging role of the cannabinoid receptor family in peripheral and neuro-immune interactions.

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“The classical endogenous cannabinoid (CB) system is composed of the endocannabinoid signalling molecules, 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA) and their G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR), CB1 and CB2 which together constitutes the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

However, putative, novel lipid-sensing CB receptors have recently been identified, including the orphan GPR55 and GPR18 receptors that are regulated by cannabinoid-like molecules and interact with CB system.

CB receptors and associated orphan GPCRs are expressed at high levels in the immune and/or central nervous systems (CNS) and regulate a number of neurophysiological processes, including key events involved in neuroinflammation.

As such, these receptors have been identified as emerging therapeutic targets for a number of brain disorders in which neuroinflammation is a key feature, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

This review will consider the role of the widercannabinoid receptor superfamily in mediating immune function with a focus on the immune processes that contribute to neuroinflammatory conditions.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26758668