Marijuana For Migraines

Posted on January 11, 2016 by David

“Our brain’s own endogenous marijuana-like chemicals produce analgesia by modulating the entry of pain signals into the brain at the level of our spinal cord.

Future generations of pain relievers will likely be developed based upon the action of marijuana in the body.

The advantage of targeting the endogenous marijuana system is that only noxious or painful signals are blocked; normal touch sensation is normal.

This study may lead to the development of more effective migraine prevention and treatment.

The challenge will be to find a dose of marijuana that produces pain relief without disturbing normal cognitive function.”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-brain-food/201309/marijuana-migraines

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/headachemigraine/

Effects of Medical Marijuana on Migraine Headache Frequency in an Adult Population.

Posted on January 11, 2016 by David

“No clinical trials are currently available that demonstrate the effects of marijuana on patients with migraine headache; however, the potential effects of cannabinoids on serotonin in the central nervous system indicate that marijuana may be a therapeutic alternative.

Thus, the objective of this study was to describe the effects of medical marijuana on the monthly frequency of migraine headache.

The frequency of migraine headache was decreased with medical marijuana use.

Prospective studies should be conducted to explore a cause-and-effect relationship and the use of different strains, formulations, and doses of marijuana to better understand the effects of medical marijuana on migraine headache treatment and prophylaxis.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26749285

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/headachemigraine/

Interactions between the endocannabinoid and nicotinic cholinergic systems: preclinical evidence and therapeutic perspectives.

Posted on January 6, 2016 by David

“Many behavioral and neurochemical effects of nicotine that are related to its addictive potential are reduced by pharmacological blockade or genetic deletion of type-1 cannabinoid receptors, inhibition of endocannabinoid uptake or metabolic degradation, and activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated-receptor-α. On the other hand, cholinergic antagonists at α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors as well as endogenous negative allosteric modulators of these receptors are effective in blocking dependence-related effects of cannabinoids.

CONCLUSIONS:

Pharmacological manipulation of the endocannabinoid system and endocannabinoid-like neuromodulators shows promise in the treatment of nicotine dependence and in relapse prevention. Likewise, drugs acting at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors might prove useful in the therapy of cannabinoid dependence.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26728894

Anti Proliferative and Pro Apoptotic Effects of Flavonoid Quercetin Are Mediated by CB1 Receptor in Human Colon Cancer Cell Lines.

Posted on January 5, 2016 by David

“Quercetin, the major constituent of flavonoid and widely present in fruits and vegetables, is an attractive compound for cancer prevention due to its beneficial anti proliferative effects, showing a crucial role in the regulation of apoptosis and cell cycle signaling.

In vitro studies have demonstrated that quercetin specifically influences colon cancer cell proliferation.

Our experiments, using human colon adenocarcinoma cells, confirmed the anti proliferative effect of quercetin and gave intriguing new insight in to the knowledge of the mechanisms involved…

These findings open new perspectives for anticancer therapeutic strategies.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25893829

“Flavonoid glycosides and cannabinoids from the pollen of Cannabis sativa L.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15688956

Cannabinoid receptor-specific mechanisms to ameliorate pain in sickle cell anemia via inhibition of mast cell activation and neurogenic inflammation.

Posted on December 26, 2015 by David

“Sickle cell anaemia is a manifestation of a single point mutation in haemoglobin, but inflammation and pain are the insignia of this disease which can start in infancy and continue throughout life.

Earlier studies showed that mast cell activation contributes to neurogenic inflammation and pain in sickle mice.

Morphine is the common analgesic treatment but also remains a major challenge due to the side effects and ability to activate mast cells. Therefore, we examined the cannabinoid receptor-specific mechanisms to ameliorate mast cell activation, neurogenic inflammation and hyperalgesia, using HbSS-BERK sickle and cannabinoid receptor 2 deleted sickle mice.

We show that cannabinoids ameliorate mast cell activation, inflammation and neurogenic inflammation in sickle mice via both cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2.

Thus, cannabinoids influence systemic and neural mechanisms, ameliorating the disease pathobiology and hyperalgesia in sickle mice.

This study provides a “proof of principle” for the potential of cannabinoid/cannabinoid receptor-based therapeutics to treat several manifestations of sickle cell anaemia.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26703965

GPR55 – a putative “type 3” cannabinoid receptor in inflammation.

Posted on December 17, 2015 by David

“G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) shares numerous cannabinoid ligands with CB1 and CB2 receptors despite low homology with those classical cannabinoid receptors. The pharmacology of GPR55 is not yet fully elucidated; however, GPR55 utilizes a different signaling system and downstream cascade associated with the receptor.

Therefore, GPR55 has emerged as a putative “type 3″ cannabinoid receptor, establishing a novel class of cannabinoid receptor.

Furthermore, the recent evidence of GPR55-CB1 and GPR55-CB2 heteromerization along with its broad distribution from central nervous system to peripheries suggests the importance of GPR55 in various cellular processes and pathologies and as a potential therapeutic target in inflammation.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26669245

Small Molecules from Nature Targeting G-Protein Coupled Cannabinoid Receptors: Potential Leads for Drug Discovery and Development.

Posted on December 15, 2015 by David

“The cannabinoid molecules are derived from Cannabis sativa plant which acts on the cannabinoid receptors types 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2) which have been explored as potential therapeutic targets for drug discovery and development.

Currently, there are numerous cannabinoid based synthetic drugs used in clinical practice like the popular ones such as nabilone, dronabinol, and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol mediates its action through CB1/CB2receptors.

In recent years, many phytocannabinoids have been isolated from plants other than Cannabis. Several studies have shown that these phytocannabinoids show affinity, potency, selectivity, and efficacy towards cannabinoid receptors and inhibit endocannabinoid metabolizing enzymes, thus reducing hyperactivity of endocannabinoid systems.

Also, these naturally derived molecules possess the least adverse effects opposed to the synthetically derived cannabinoids. Therefore, the plant based cannabinoid molecules proved to be promising and emerging therapeutic alternative.

The present review provides an overview of therapeutic potential of ligands and plants modulating cannabinoid receptors that may be of interest to pharmaceutical industry in search of new and safer drug discovery and development for future therapeutics.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26664449

The therapeutic aspects of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) for cancer and their development: from nature to laboratory.

Posted on December 15, 2015 by David

“The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a group of neuromodulatory lipids and their receptors, which are widely distributed in mammalian tissues. ECS regulates various cardiovascular, nervous, and immune system functions inside cells.

In recent years, there has been a growing body of evidence for the use of synthetic and natural cannabinoids as potential anticancer agents.

For instance, the CB1 and CB2 receptors are assumed to play an important role inside the endocannabinoid system. These receptors are abundantly expressed in the brain and fatty tissue of the human body.

Despite recent developments in molecular biology, there is still a lack of knowledge about the distribution of CB1 and CB2 receptors in the human kidney and their role in kidney cancer. To address this gap, we explore and demonstrate the role of the endocannabinoid system in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

In this brief overview, we elucidate the therapeutic aspects of the endocannabinoid system for various cancers and explain how this system can be used for treating kidney cancer.

Overall, this review provides new insights into cannabinoids’ mechanisms of action in both in vivo and in vitro models, and focuses on recent discoveries in the field.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26654588

Medical Marijuana.

Posted on December 10, 2015 by David

“The use of medicinal marijuana is increasing. Marijuana has been shown to have therapeutic effects in certain patients, but further research is needed regarding the safety and efficacy of marijuana as a medical treatment for various conditions. A growing body of research validates the use of marijuana for a variety of healthcare problems, but there are many issues surrounding the use of this substance. This article discusses the use of medical marijuana and provides implications for home care clinicians.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26645838

Therapy with a Selective Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 Agonist Limits Albuminuria and Renal Injury in Mice with Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy.

Posted on December 10, 2015 by David

“A critical involvement of the endocannabinoid/cannabinoid receptor system in diabetes and its complications has been recognized.

Experimental evidence suggested that activation of the cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2), which is expressed in the kidney by podocytes and inflammatory cells, had a protective role in early streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes in mice.

In this study, we investigated the effects of a CB2 agonist given at a phase of overt disease on renal functional and structural changes in BTBR ob/ob mice, a model of type 2 diabetic nephropathy.

These results suggest that CB2 agonism is a potential option to be added to the available therapeutic armamentarium for type 2 diabetic nephropathy.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26646377