Category Archives: THC (Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol)

Cannabis in cancer care.

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“Cannabis has been used in medicine for thousands of years prior to achieving its current illicit substance status.

Cannabinoids, the active components of Cannabis sativa, mimic the effects of the endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids), activating specific cannabinoid receptors, particularly CB1 found predominantly in the central nervous system and CB2 found predominantly in cells involved with immune function.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main bioactive cannabinoid in the plant, has been available as a prescription medication approved for treatment of cancer chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and anorexia associated with the AIDS wasting syndrome.

Cannabinoids may be of benefit in the treatment of cancer-related pain, possibly synergistic with opioid analgesics.

Cannabinoids have been shown to be of benefit in the treatment of HIV-related peripheral neuropathy, suggesting that they may be worthy of study in patients with other neuropathic symptoms.

Cannabinoids have a favorable drug safety profile, but their medical use is predominantly limited by their psychoactive effects and their limited bioavailability.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25777363

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

Cost-effectiveness of Sativex in multiple sclerosis spasticity: new data and application to Italy.

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“This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Sativex® (9-delta-tetrahydrocannabinol plus cannabidiol oromucosal spray) when used as add-on therapy for management of resistant MS-related spasticity in the context of the Italian healthcare system…

Sativex can be regarded as a cost-effective treatment option for patients with MS-related spasticity in Italy.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25771713

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/multiple-sclerosis-ms/

Safety, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of multiple oral doses of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in older persons with dementia

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“In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, we evaluated the safety, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of THC…

Older people with dementia and physical comorbidity could greatly benefit from the therapeutic application of cannabinoids. Recent studies have demonstrated that low doses of THC are effective in protecting the brain from neuroinflammation-induced cognitive damage.

Our findings suggest that low THC doses are safe and well tolerated by frail older persons with dementia.”

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-015-3889-y

“Our findings suggest that low THC doses are safe and well tolerated by frail older persons with dementia.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4480847/

 

delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in clinical oncology.

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“After anecdotal reports of marijuana’s providing antiemetic activity in cancer chemotherapy patients refractory to standard agents, orally administereddelta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was formally studied by a number of investigators.

In six of seven well-controlled studies, orally administered THC was a superior antiemetic agent compared with control agents.

Overall, the benefits of orally administered THC use represent a major advance in antiemetic therapy.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6262541

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

Antiemetic effect of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in chemotherapy-associated nausea and emesis as compared to placebo and compazine.

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“delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), prochlorperazine, and placebo were compared.

Nausea was absent in 40 of 55 patients receiving THC, in 8 of 55 patients receiving prochlorperazine, and in 5 of 55 in the placebo group.

THC appeared to be more efficacious in controlling the emesis associated with cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil, and doxorubicin and less so for nitrogen mustard and the nitrosourea.

THC appears to offer significant control of nausea in most patients and exceeds by far that provided by prochlorperazine.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6271846

delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol for refractory vomiting induced by cancer chemotherapy.

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“Fifty-three patients receiving antineoplastic chemotherapy who had experienced severe nausea and vomiting refractory to standard antiemetic agents were treated with delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

These patients were given THC 8 to 12 hours before, during, and for 24 hours after chemotherapy.

Ten patients (19%) had no further nausea and vomiting; 28 (53%) had at least a 50% reduction of nausea and vomiting compared to previous courses with the same agents.

We suggest that, since THC is a useful antimetic agent in patients having refractory chemotherapy-induced vomiting, existing restrictions prohibiting its therapeutic use should promptly be eased.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6244418

Simultaneous inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) shares discriminative stimulus effects with ∆9-THC in mice.

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“Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9 -THC) is a cannabinoid CB1 /CB2 receptor agonist that produces therapeutic effects such as analgesia and anti-emetic effects…

Collectively, the current results show that pharmacological increases in endogenous AEA and 2-AG simultaneously through inhibition of FAAH and MAGL, respectively, mimics the discriminative stimulus effects of Δ9 -THC.”

http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2015/02/24/jpet.115.222836.long

Are Cannabinoids Effective for Orofacial Pain States?

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“…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/

Neuroprotective Effect of(−)Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol in N-Methyl-d-Aspartate-Induced Retinal Neurotoxicity

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“In glaucoma, the increased release of glutamate is the major cause of retinal ganglion cell death. Cannabinoids have been demonstrated to protect neuron cultures from glutamate-induced death.

In this study, we test the hypothesis that glutamate causes apoptosis of retinal neurons via the excessive formation of peroxynitrite, and that the neuroprotective effect of the psychotropic Δ9-tetrahydroxycannabinol (THC) or nonpsychotropic cannabidiol (CBD) is via the attenuation of this formation…

The neuroprotection by THC and CBD was because of attenuation of peroxynitrite.

The effect of THC was in part mediated by the cannabinoid receptor CB1.

These results suggest the potential use of CBD as a novel topical therapy for the treatment of glaucoma.

THC and CBD, are similarly potent antioxidants that protect neuron cultures from glutamate-induced cell death or oxidative stress…

In addition to possessing neuroprotective or retinal neuroprotective activity… cannabinoids, such as THC, have been demonstrated to induce dose-related reductions in intraocular pressure in human and in animal models. 

This suggests that cannabinoids may offer a multifaceted therapy for glaucoma.

In conclusion, our results indicate that lipid peroxidation and ONOO− formation play an important role in NMDA-induced retinal neurotoxicity and cell loss in the retina, and that THC and CBD, by reducing the formation of these compounds, are effective neuroprotectants.

The present studies could form the basis for the development of new topical therapies for the treatment of glaucoma.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1892413/

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

Protective effects of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol against N-methyl-d-aspartate-induced AF5 cell death.

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Image result for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

“One of the most promising potential medical applications of cannabinoids involves their ability to protect cells from a variety of toxic events.

Cannabinoids have been reported to protect neurons from death…

Cannabinoids, such as the pharmacologically active component of marijuana (-)Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)…

The neuroprotective effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were examined…

Protective effects of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol… THC may function as an antioxidant to increase cell survival… 

THC can produce receptor-independent neuroprotective or cellular protective effects at micromolar concentrations as a result of its antioxidant properties…

In conclusion, THC produces a potent neuroprotective effect…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1824211/