Tetrahydrocannabinol and endocannabinoids in feeding and appetite.

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“The physiological control of appetite and satiety, in which numerous neurotransmitters and neuropeptides play a role, is extremely complex. Here we describe the involvement of endocannabinoids in these processes.

These endogenous neuromodulators enhance appetite in animals.

The same effect is observed in animals and in humans with the psychotropic plant cannabinoid Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, which is an approved appetite-enhancing drug.

The CB(1) cannabinoid receptor antagonist SR141716A blocks the effects on feeding produced by the endocannabinoids. If administered to mice pups, this antagonist blocks suckling.

In obese humans, it causes weight reduction.

Very little is known about the physiological and biochemical mechanisms involved in the effects of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol and the cannabinoids in feeding and appetite.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12182965

Non-Δ⁹tetrahydrocannabinol phytocannabinoids stimulate feeding in rats.

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“Cannabinoid type 1 receptor-mediated appetite stimulation by Δ⁹tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹THC) is well understood.

Recently, it has become apparent that non-Δ⁹THC phytocannabinoids could also alter feeding patterns.

Here, we show definitively that non-Δ⁹THC phytocannabinoids stimulate feeding.

Twelve male, Lister-Hooded rats were prefed to satiety prior to administration of a standardized cannabis extract or to either of two mixtures of pure phytocannabinoids (extract analogues) comprising the phytocannabinoids present in the same proportions as the standardized extract (one with and one without Δ⁹THC). Hourly intake and meal pattern data were recorded and analysed using two-way analysis of variance followed by one-way analysis of variance and Bonferroni post-hoc tests.

Administration of both extract analogues significantly increased feeding behaviours over the period of the test. All three agents increased hour-one intake and meal-one size and decreased the latency to feed, although the zero-Δ⁹THC extract analogue did so to a lesser degree than the high-Δ⁹THC analogue.

Furthermore, only the analogue containing Δ⁹THC significantly increased meal duration.

The data confirm that at least one non-Δ⁹THC phytocannabinoid induces feeding pattern changes in rats, although further trials using individual phytocannabinoids are required to fully understand the observed effects.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22157176

Peripheral endocannabinoid signaling controls hyperphagia in western diet-induced obesity.

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“The endocannabinoid system in the brain and periphery plays a major role in controlling food intake and energy balance.

We reported that tasting dietary fats was met with increased levels of the endocannabinoids, 2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycerol (2-AG) and anandamide, in the rat upper small intestine, and pharmacological inhibition of this local signaling event dose-dependently blocked sham feeding of fats.

We now investigated the contribution of peripheral endocannabinoid signaling in hyperphagia associated with chronic consumption of a western-style diet in mice ([WD] i.e., high fat and sucrose).

These results suggest that endogenous activity at peripheral CB1Rs in WD mice is critical for driving hyperphagia.

In support of this hypothesis, levels of 2-AG and anandamide in both, jejunum mucosa and plasma, of ad-libitum fed WD mice increased when compared to SC mice. Furthermore, expression of genes for primary components of the endocannabinoid system (i.e., cannabinoid receptors, and endocannabinoid biosynthetic and degradative enzymes) was dysregulated in WD mice when compared to SC mice.

Our results suggest that hyperphagia associated with WD-induced obesity is driven by enhanced endocannabinoid signaling at peripheral CB1Rs.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28065722

Therapeutic Use of Cannabis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

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“The marijuana plant Cannabis sativa and its derivatives, cannabinoids, have grown increasingly popular as a potential therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Studies have shown that modulation of the endocannabinoid system, which regulates various functions in the body and has been shown to play a key role in the pathogenesis of IBD, has a therapeutic effect in mouse colitis.

The plant Cannabis sativa has been used in medicinal practice for thousands of years. Anecdotal reports have suggested a therapeutic role for cannabis in the treatment of IBD for hundreds of years. A case report from 1990 describes patients with IBD maintaining remission of disease via cannabis use. Cannabinoids appear to have a clear role in gut pathology and offer a potential target for drug intervention in the treatment of IBD. Cannabis seems to be of symptomatic benefit to patients often refractory to conventional medicines.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5193087/

A user’s guide to cannabinoid therapies in oncology.

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“”Cannabinoid” is the collective term for a group of chemical compounds that either are derived from the Cannabis plant, are synthetic analogues, or occur endogenously.

Although cannabinoids interact mostly at the level of the currently recognized cannabinoid receptors, they might have cross reactivity, such as at opioid receptors.

Patients with malignant disease represent a cohort within health care that have some of the greatest unmet needs despite the availability of a plethora of guideline-driven disease-modulating treatments and pain and symptom management options.

Cannabinoid therapies are varied and versatile, and can be offered as pharmaceuticals (nabilone, dronabinol, and nabiximols), dried botanical material, and edible organic oils infused with cannabis extracts. Cannabinoid therapy regimens can be creative, involving combinations of all of the aforementioned modalities.

Patients with malignant disease, at all points of their disease trajectory, could be candidates for cannabinoid therapies whether as monotherapies or as adjuvants.

The most studied and established roles for cannabinoid therapies include pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and anorexia.

Moreover, given their breadth of activity, cannabinoids could be used to concurrently optimize the management of multiple symptoms, thereby reducing overall polypharmacy.

The use of cannabinoid therapies could be effective in improving quality of life and possibly modifying malignancy by virtue of direct effects and in improving compliance or adherence with disease-modulating treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.”  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28050136

“The Cannabis plant has a long and colourful history that spans more than 5000 years of world history and human usage. In contemporary times, the term “cannabis” has commonly been supplanted by the more colloquial term “marijuana” (also spelled “marihuana”). An extremely versatile and easily cultivatable plant, Cannabis was used by ancient cultures for food, fibre, and medicinal purposes. The integration and broader utilization of cannabinoid therapies within the domain of oncology (including palliation) carries the potential not only for improved health care outcomes for patients but also for economic savings and greater safety for society. Patient reports of improvement in quality of life, especially for those undergoing intensive treatment regimens, could be key to patients continuing with lifesaving or life-prolonging therapies.”   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5176373/

Cannabinoid CB2 receptor ligand profiling reveals biased signalling and off-target activity.

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“The cannabinoid CB2 receptor (CB2R) represents a promising therapeutic target for various forms of tissue injury and inflammatory diseases. Although numerous compounds have been developed and widely used to target CB2R, their selectivity, molecular mode of action and pharmacokinetic properties have been poorly characterized. Here we report the most extensive characterization of the molecular pharmacology of the most widely used CB2R ligands to date. In a collaborative effort between multiple academic and industry laboratories, we identify marked differences in the ability of certain agonists to activate distinct signalling pathways and to cause off-target effects. We reach a consensus that HU910, HU308 and JWH133 are the recommended selective CB2R agonists to study the role of CB2R in biological and disease processes. We believe that our unique approach would be highly suitable for the characterization of other therapeutic targets in drug discovery research.”

Potent immunomodulatory activity of a highly selective cannabinoid CB2 agonist on immune cells from healthy subjects and patients with multiple sclerosis.

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“COR167, a novel CB2-selective high affinity agonist, was found to significantly inhibit, in a dose-dependent manner, the proliferation of both peripheral blood mononuclear cells and myelin basic protein-reactive T cell lines from normal healthy subjects and patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). In MS, a significantly higher inhibition was observed in patients on treatment with disease modifying drugs compared to those naive to treatment. The inhibitory activity of COR167 was exerted through a mixed mechanism involving atypical and incomplete shift of Th1 phenotype towards Th2 phenotype associated with slight reduction of IL-4 and IL-5 as well as strongly reduced levels of Th17-related cytokines. COR167 was also able to reduce in vitro migration of stimulated immunocompetent cells through human brain endothelium associated with a significant reduction of levels of several chemokines. These findings demonstrate that COR167 exerts potent immunomodulatory effects and confirm the cannabinoid CB2 receptor as a novel pharmacological target to counteract neuroinflammation.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28041663

Medical Cannabis in the Palliation of Malignant Wounds—A Case Report

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“Anecdotal accounts of the use of topical extracts from the cannabis plant being used on open wounds date back to antiquity. In modern times, cannabinoid therapies have demonstrated efficacy as analgesic agents in both pharmaceutical and botanical formats. Medical cannabis (MC), also known as medical marijuana,…

The endogenous cannabinoid system, consisting of cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands, is ubiquitous throughout the human bodyAvailable research shows that cancer cells express higher levels of the cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, relative to their noncancer counterparts, while also demonstrating an overall state of upregulationHuman in vitro studies, using nonmelanoma skin lines, have demonstrated direct induction of tumor cell apoptosis and inhibition of tumor-related angiogenesis, both by way of activation of cannabinoid receptors.

The analgesic outcomes observed in this case are supported by the results of a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of cannabinoids for medical useUnlike intact skin, which is polar and hydrophilic, wounds lack epithelial coverage and are nonpolar and lipophilic. Therefore, lipophilic compounds such as the THC and CBD cannabinoids may be readily absorbed through cutaneous wounds.

Before the use of topical MC oil, the patient’s wound was growing rapidly. Yet, after a few weeks, a modest regression of his malignant wound was observed while the patient used topical MC. This secondary outcome suggests that topical MC may promote antineoplastic activity as per the findings of Casanova et al.

In summary, this is the first case report to demonstrate the potential for MC to provide effective pain and symptom management in the setting of malignant wounds. The rapid onset of analgesia after topical placement suggests that the effects were mediated through absorption of the THC and CBD cannabinoids that subsequently interacted with peripheral nociceptors, immune cells, and cancer cells. The postapplication analgesia may be because of the gastrointestinal absorption of ingested residual MC oil. This case suggests that MC delivered in vaporized and topical oil formats warrants further investigation in human malignancy, including randomized controlled trials capable of establishing long-term efficacy, optimal dosage, schedules of administration, mixture composition, and safety.”

http://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(16)30328-1/fulltext

“Can Cannabis Oil Help Heal Wounds?”                              http://www.livescience.com/57500-can-medical-cannabis-help-heal-wounds.html

“Oral cancer patient, 44, claims cannabis oil helped to shrink a hole in his cheek that was caused by the disease” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4124752/Oral-cancer-patient-44-claims-cannabis-oil-helped-shrink-hole-cheek-caused-disease.html

“Miracle plant: Can medical marijuana heal wounds?” http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/medical-marijuana-heal-wounds-article-1.3384572

“Cannabis Oil Shows Potential To Heal Cancer Wounds Fast”  http://www.healthaim.com/cannabis-oil-shows-potential-heal-cancer-wounds-fast/71395

Extravirgin olive oil up-regulates CB₁ tumor suppressor gene in human colon cancer cells and in rat colon via epigenetic mechanisms.

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“Extravirgin olive oil (EVOO) represents the typical lipid source of the Mediterranean diet, an eating habit pattern that has been associated with a significant reduction of cancer risk. Diet is the more studied environmental factor in epigenetics, and many evidences suggest dysregulation of epigenetic pathways in cancer.

The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of EVOO and its phenolic compounds on endocannabinoid system (ECS) gene expression via epigenetic regulation in both human colon cancer cells (Caco-2) and rats exposed to short- and long-term dietary EVOO.

Taken together, our findings demonstrating CB₁ gene expression modulation by EVOO or its phenolic compounds via epigenetic mechanism, both in vitro and in vivo, may provide a new therapeutic avenue for treatment and/or prevention of colon cancer.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25533906

Dietary olive oil induces cannabinoid CB2 receptor expression in adipose tissue of ApcMin/+ transgenic mice.

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“Cannabinoid– 2 (CB2) receptor is known for its anti-obesity effects silencing the activated immune cells that are key drivers of metabolic syndrome and inflammation.

Nutritional interventions in experimental models of carcinogenesis have been demonstrated to modulate tissue inflammation state and proliferation.

OBJECTIVE: Aim of this study was to test, in ApcMin/+ mice, whether a diet enriched with olive oil, omega- 3 and omega-6- PUFAs affects the adipose tissue inflammation status.

RESULTS: The diet enriched with olive oil significantly induced CB2 receptor expression and it was able to control inflammatory and proliferative activity of mice adipose tissue.

CONCLUSIONS: The present findings open opportunities for developing novel nutritional strategies considering olive oil a key ingredient of a healthy dietary pattern.”