Category Archives: THC (Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol)

Cannabinoids for gastrointestinal diseases: potential therapeutic applications.

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“Delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (the active ingredient of marijuana), as well as endogenous and synthetic cannabinoids, exert many biological functions by activating two types of cannabinoid receptors, CB(1) and CB(2) receptors. CB(1) receptors have been detected on enteric nerves, and pharmacological effects of their activation include gastroprotection, reduction of gastric and intestinal motility and reduction of intestinal secretion.

 The digestive tract also contains endogenous cannabinoids (i.e., the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-aracidonylglycerol) and mechanisms for endocannabinoid inactivation (i.e., endocannabinoids uptake and enzymatic degradation). Cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids and the proteins involved in endocannabinoids inactivation are collectively referred as the ‘endogenous cannabinoid system’.

 A pharmacological modulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system could provide new therapeutics for the treatment of a number of gastrointestinal diseases, including nausea and vomiting, gastric ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, secretory diarrhoea, paralytic ileus and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Some cannabinoids are already in use clinically, for example, nabilone and delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol are used as antiemetics.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12517253

Endocannabinoids and the gastrointestinal tract.

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“In the past centuries, different preparations of marijuana have been used for the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, such as GI pain, gastroenteritis and diarrhea.

 Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; the active component of marijuana), as well as endogenous and synthetic cannabinoids, exert their biological functions on the gastrointestinal tract by activating two types of cannabinoid receptors, cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1 receptor) and cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2 receptor). While CB1 receptors are located in the enteric nervous system and in sensory terminals of vagal and spinal neurons and regulate neurotransmitter release, CB2 receptors are mostly distributed in the immune system, with a role presently still difficult to establish.

Under pathophysiological conditions, the endocannabinoid system conveys protection to the GI tract, eg from inflammation and abnormally high gastric and enteric secretion.

 For such protective activities, the endocannabinoid system may represent a new promising therapeutic target against different GI disorders, including frankly inflammatory bowel diseases (eg, Crohn’s disease), functional bowel diseases (eg, irritable bowel syndrome), and secretion- and motility-related disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16751708

Involvement of PPARγ in the antitumoral action of cannabinoids on hepatocellular carcinoma.

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Logo of cddis “Cannabinoids exert antiproliferative effects in a wide range of tumoral cells, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. In this study, we examined whether the PPARγ-activated pathway contributed to the antitumor effect of two cannabinoids, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and JWH-015, against HepG2 and HUH-7 HCC cells. Taken together, we demonstrate for the first time that the antiproliferative action of the cannabinoids THC and JWH-015 on HCC, in vitro and in vivo, are modulated by upregulation of PPARγ-dependent pathways.”  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23640460

“The antitumor activity of cannabinoids against HCC cells has been related to the ability of these drugs to induce apoptosis and autophagy. In particular, it has been previously described that cannabinoids arrest cell proliferation, reduce cell migration and inhibit angiogenesis, and therefore, cannabinoid-like compounds offer a therapeutic potential for the treatment of many types of cancer.”  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3674350/

“We here illustrate that the cannabinoids THC and JWH-015 exert antitumor effect against the human HCC cell lines HepG2 and HUH-7 in vitro and in vivo through PPARγ.”  https://www.nature.com/articles/cddis2013141

Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated cell death through stimulation of ER stress in human glioma cells

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THC triggered a self-destruction process called autophagy in human glioma cells, leading to cancer-cell death. Researchers also found that this pathway was necessary for the antitumor effects of cannabinoids observed in animal models.

“Autophagy can promote cell survival or cell death, but the molecular basis underlying its dual role in cancer remains obscure. Here we demonstrate that Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component of marijuana, induces human glioma cell death through stimulation of autophagy…We also showed that autophagy is upstream of apoptosis in cannabinoid-induced human and mouse cancer cell death and that activation of this pathway was necessary for the antitumor action of cannabinoids in vivo.”

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“These findings describe a mechanism by which THC can promote the autophagic death of human and mouse cancer cells and provide evidence that cannabinoid administration may be an effective therapeutic strategy for targeting human cancers.

Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component of marijuana, exerts a wide variety of biological effects by mimicking endogenous substances — the endocannabinoids — that bind to and activate specific cannabinoid receptors. One of the most exciting areas of research in the cannabinoid field is the study of the potential application of cannabinoids as antitumoral agents.

Cannabinoid administration has been found to curb the growth of several types of tumor xenografts in rats and mice…

 Considering that no signs of toxicity were observed in the clinical trial patients or in tumor-bearing animals treated intracranially, peritumorally, or intraperitoneally with THC, and that no overt toxic effects have been reported in other clinical trials of cannabinoid use in cancer patients for various applications (e.g., inhibition of nausea, vomiting, and pain) and using different routes of administration (e.g., oral, oro-mucosal) our findings support that safe, therapeutically efficacious doses of THC may be reached in cancer patients.”

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2673842/

Need this THC study explained? thcXplained.com

Active Component Of Marijuana Has Anti-Cancer Effects, Study Suggests

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“Guillermo Velasco and colleagues, at Complutense University, Spain, have provided evidence that suggests that cannabinoids such as the main active component of marijuana (THC) have anticancer effects on human brain cancer cells.

In the study, THC was found to induce the death of various human brain cancer cell lines and primary cultured human brain cancer cells by a process known as autophagy.

Consistent with the in vitro data, administration of THC to mice with human tumors decreased tumor growth and induced the tumor cells to undergo autophagy. As analysis of tumors from two patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (a highly aggressive brain tumor) receiving intracranial THC administration showed signs of autophagy, the authors suggest that cannabinoid administration may provide a new approach to targeting human cancers.”  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401181217.htm

“Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated cell death through stimulation of ER stress in human glioma cells” https://www.jci.org/articles/view/37948

 

A tale of two cannabinoids: the therapeutic rationale for combining tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol.

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“This study examines the current knowledge of physiological and clinical effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and presents a rationale for their combination in pharmaceutical preparations. Cannabinoid and vanilloid receptor effects as well as non-receptor mechanisms are explored, such as the capability of THC and CBD to act as anti-inflammatory substances independent of cyclo-oxygenase (COX) inhibition.

CBD is demonstrated to antagonise some undesirable effects of THC including intoxication, sedation and tachycardia, while contributing analgesic, anti-emetic, and anti-carcinogenic properties in its own right.

In modern clinical trials, this has permitted the administration of higher doses of THC, providing evidence for clinical efficacy and safety for cannabis based extracts in treatment of spasticity, central pain and lower urinary tract symptoms in multiple sclerosis, as well as sleep disturbances, peripheral neuropathic pain, brachial plexus avulsion symptoms, rheumatoid arthritis and intractable cancer pain. Prospects for future application of whole cannabis extracts in neuroprotection, drug dependency, and neoplastic disorders are further examined.

The hypothesis that the combination of THC and CBD increases clinical efficacy while reducing adverse events is supported.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16209908

Antitumor Effects of THC.

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“1-Trans-[delta.sup.9]-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) the main active component of marijuana, has been shown to exhibit anticancer activity.

Galve-Roperh et al. reported that intratumoral administration of THC induces apoptosis of transformed neural cells in culture, and also induces a considerable regression of malignant gliomas in Wistar rats and in mice… These authors suggest that their “results may provide the basis for a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of malignant gliomas.”

Thus, in our studies, rats and mice that received THC for 2 years exhibited body weight reductions, enhanced survival rates, and decreased tumor incidences in several sites, mainly organs under hormonal control.

These earlier experimental carcinogenesis results on THC clearly lend further validity to the notion that cannabinoids may indeed be anticarcinogenic.”

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Antitumor+Effects+of+THC.-a068148345

“Antitumor effects of THC.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11097557

Study: THC Not Cancer-Causing

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“A federal study completed more than two years ago reportedly found that marijuana’s main ingredient did not cause cancer in laboratory animals. A 126-page report on the $2 million study has not been published, although expert reviewers found in June 1994 that the scientific methods used and the conclusions reached were sound, The Boston Globe reported today.

The findings go against the contention of some federal officials that marijuana is carcinogenic. The study will likely add grist to the debate over using marijuana for medical treatment.

A spokesman for White House drug policy adviser Barry R. McCaffrey said his office was not aware of the study.

The Globe said the National Toxicology Program study was revealed earlier this month in a newsletter called AIDS Treatment News.

According to the probe, high doses of the main active ingredient in marijuana, _ tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC _ were put directly into the stomachs of mice and rats daily for two years.

“We found absolutely no evidence of cancer,” said John Bucher, deputy director of the National Toxicology Program.

Because the animals were not exposed to marijuana smoke, the potential of inhaled marijuana to cause cancer was not looked at.

The study was overseen by the Federal Drug Administration, the National Cancer Institute and other federal agencies.

Bucher said publication of the report was overdue, but his agency had not been pressured to bury it. A personnel shortage caused the delay, he said.

The New England Journal of Medicine has come out in favor of allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes.

Some doctors believe marijuana can relieve internal eye pressure in glaucoma, control nausea in cancer patients on chemotherapy and combat the severe weight loss seen in AIDS patients.

However, Clinton administration officials note that such uses of marijuana have not been proved.”

Associated Press, Jan 30, 1997 BOSTON

http://www.ukcia.org/research/cancer.php

Toxicity and carcinogenicity of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in Fischer rats and B6C3F1 mice.

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“delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC) was studied for potential carcinogenicity in rodents because it is the principal psychoactive ingredient in marihuana and it has potential medicinal uses. delta 9-THC in corn oil was administered by gavage to groups of male and female Fischer rats and B6C3F1 mice…

  Decreased tumor incidences…

 …There was no evidence that delta 9-THC was carcinogenic in rats or mice.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8812248

What’s So Healing About Hemp Seeds and Flax Seeds?

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“Hemp seeds have a plethora of nutrients necessary to the healing process which makes them one of the most nutritious foods on our planet. When we talk about hemp seeds we mean hulled seeds from the hemp plant. Although in the same genus of plants as Marijuana, Hemp does not possess high enough levels of the medicinal and analgesic (pain relieving) compound Tetrahydrocannabinol, also commonly known by its acronym THC, to be considered the same plant. This article is about the healing medicinal value of hulled hemp seeds with respect to their content of essential amino acids (raw protein) and highly unsaturated essential fatty acids…

The fat content and balance of essential fats in hemp seeds is superior to almost every other seed and nut. Hemp has a ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 of 3.75 to 1, which according to the World Health Organization is close to perfect for effective metabolism. Hemp also contains other very important co-factor nutrients including chlorophyll, Vitamin E, a complex of B Vitamins including Folic Acid, as well as Phosphorous, Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium…”

More: http://thegoodwitch.ca/whats-so-healing-about-hemp-seeds-and-flax-seeds/