Tag Archives: anti-inflammatory

Muscular Dystrophy-Cannabinoids-Symptom Relief

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“Cannabinoids Help Muscular Dystrophy Symptoms: Cannabinoids are now known to have the capacity for neuromodulation, via direct, receptor-based mechanisms, at numerous levels within the nervous system. 

These provide therapeutic properties that may be applicable to the treatment of neurological disorders, including anti-oxidative, neuroprotective effects, analgesia, anti-inflammatory actions, immunomodulation, modulation of glial cells and tumor growth regulation. 

Beyond that, the cannabinoids have also been shown to be “remarkably safe with no potential for overdose.”

(vaporizing) Marijuana:

“miraculously improved his quality of life so much so that he left his family and friends in New Jersey to live in California, where he can readily get his medication.”

Sublingual (under the tongue)-tincture (alcohol based) or infused oil (olive or food grade glycerin or coconut)

Topicals (salves, ointments, balms) for muscle pain and spasms.

Cannabinoids:  increase appetite, analgesic (rid pain), muscle relaxant, saliva reduction, bronchodialation,  and sleep induction.

 

CBD-rich strains are best choice.  Sativa dominant x Indica.”

More: http://medicalmarijuana.com/medical-marijuana-treatments/MD

Treatment of Crohn’s Disease with Cannabis: An Observational Study

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“The marijuana plant cannabis is known to have therapeutic effects, including improvement of inflammatory processes. However, no report of patients using cannabis for Crohn’s disease (CD) was ever published.

OBJECTIVES:

To describe the effects of cannabis use in patients suffering from CD.

RESULTS:

Of the 30 patients 21 improved significantly after treatment with cannabis… The need for other medication was significantly reduced. Fifteen of the patients had 19 surgeries during an average period of 9 years before cannabis use, but only 2 required surgery during an average period of 3 years of cannabis use.

CONCLUSIONS:

This is the first report of cannabis use in Crohn’s disease in humans. The results indicate that cannabis may have a positive effect on disease activity, as reflected by reduction in disease activity index and in the need for other drugs and surgery. Prospective placebo-controlled studies are warranted to fully evaluate the efficacy and side effects of cannabis in CD.”

Full Text: http://www.ima.org.il/IMAJ/ViewArticle.aspx?year=2011&month=08&page=455

Beta-caryophyllene is a dietary cannabinoid

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“The psychoactive cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa L. and the arachidonic acid-derived endocannabinoids are nonselective natural ligands for cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB(1)) and CB(2) receptors. Although the CB(1) receptor is responsible for the psychomodulatory effects, activation of the CB(2) receptor is a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of inflammation, pain, atherosclerosis, and osteoporosis.

 Here, we report that the widespread plant volatile (E)-beta-caryophyllene [(E)-BCP] selectively binds to the CB(2) receptor and that it is a functional CB(2) agonist.

 Intriguingly, (E)-BCP is a common constituent of the essential oils of numerous spice and food plants and a major component in Cannabis.

 …this natural product exerts cannabimimetic effects in vivo. These results identify (E)-BCP as a functional nonpsychoactive CB(2) receptor ligand in foodstuff and as a macrocyclic antiinflammatory cannabinoid in Cannabis…

 Because (E)-BCP is a major constituent in Cannabis essential oil and shows significant cannabimimetic effects, it may also contribute to the overall effect of Cannabis preparations…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2449371/

Anti-inflammatory cannabinoids in diet: Towards a better understanding of CB(2) receptor action?

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“The endocannabinoid system is an ancient lipid signaling network which in mammals modulates neuronal functions, inflammatory processes, and is involved in the aetiology of certain human lifestyle diseases, such as Crohn’s disease, atherosclerosis and osteoarthritis.

The system is able to downregulate stress-related signals that lead to chronic inflammation and certain types of pain, but it is also involved in causing inflammation-associated symptoms, depending on the physiological context.

The cannabinoid type-2 (CB2) receptor, which unlike the CB1 receptor does not induce central side effects, has been shown to be a promising therapeutic target. While CB1 receptor antagonists/inverse agonists are of therapeutic value, also CB2 receptor ligands including agonists are of pharmacological interest.

 Although the endocannabinoid system is known to be involved in the regulation of energy homoeostasis and metabolism (mainly via CB1 receptors) there was hitherto no direct link between food intake and cannabinoid receptor activation. Our recent finding that beta-caryophyllene, a ubiquitous lipohilic plant natural product, selectively binds to the CB2 receptor and acts as a full agonist is unexpected…

In the case of the dietary natural product beta-caryophyllene, a full CB2 receptor-selective agonist in vitro, potent anti-inflammatory cannabimimetic effects are observed. Intriguingly, the lowest oral dose tested (5 mg/Kg) of this widespread and apparently non-toxic compound, which is also an FDA-approve food additive, was the most effective. Maybe this strengthens the hypothesis that beta-caryophyllene is indeed a dietary cannabinoid, thus inferring that by eating this compound the endocannabinoid system may be modulated in a beneficial way…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2633791/

Role of cannabinoid receptors and RAGE in inflammatory bowel disease.

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“The endocannabinoid system is involved in many inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The distribution and expression of cannabinoid receptors 1 (CNR1) and 2 (CNR2) in combination with inflammatory cytokines and RAGE (receptor of advanced glycation end products), which is also overactive in these diseases, in dependency of the extent of inflammation and alteration of the colon barrier is still unclear and needs to be elucidated…

 

CONCLUSION:

We showed that cannabinoid receptors are expressed differentially in inflammatory bowel disease and that the expression seems to be influenced by the underlying disease and by localized inflammation.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21472688

The pathophysiologic rationale for biological therapies in inflammatory bowel disease.

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“Inflammatory bowel disease is driven by an excessive immune response in the gut wall. This review summarises important new developments in understanding this immune response and the downstream mechanisms of intestinal injury, alongside their potential role in opening up new avenues of treatment…

Understanding the immunology of inflammatory bowel disease continues to underpin the vast majority of new therapies and identifies new targets.

Novel approaches, such as exploiting the antiinflammatory role of cannabinoid receptors, may also prove productive in the future.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15930983

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

Cannabinoid Inhibition of Macrophage Migration to the Trans-Activating (Tat) Protein of HIV-1 Is Linked to the CB2 Cannabinoid Receptor

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“Macrophage-like cells are primary targets for infection by HIV-1…  In the present study, the exogenous cannabinoids δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and (−)-cis-3-[2-hydroxy-4-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)phenyl]-trans-4-(3-hydroxypropyl) cyclohexanol (CP55940) were shown to significantly inhibit migration of human U937 macrophage-like cells to the Tat protein in a concentration-related manner….

Collectively, the pharmacological and biochemical knockdown data indicate that cannabinoid-mediated modulation of macrophage migration to the HIV-1 Tat protein is linked to the CB2 cannabinoid receptor. Furthermore, these results suggest that the CB2 cannabinoid receptor has potential to serve as a therapeutic target for ablation of HIV-1-associated untoward inflammatory response…

,,, the CB2 receptor has the potential to serve as a molecular target for ablating hyperinflammatory responses of macrophage-like cells while avoiding untoward psychotropic effects caused by activation of the CB1 receptor.

 In conclusion, the immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties of select cannabinoids may have profound therapeutic potential in moderating HIV-associated immunopathology, including microglial activation, chemokine/cytokine dysregulation, and monocyte infiltration in the CNS.”

Full text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846023/

Attenuation of HIV-1 replication in macrophages by cannabinoid receptor 2 agonists.

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“Previous studies showed that activation of the CB2 can attenuate inflammatory responses and affect HIV-1 infectivity in T cells and microglia. Here, we report that CB2 agonists can also act as immunomodulators on HIV-1-infected macrophages.

   We speculate that these findings indicate that prevention of viral entry is not a central mechanism for CB2-mediated suppression in viral replication.

However, CB2 may affect the HIV-1 replication machinery.

Results from a single-round infection with the pseudotyped virus revealed a marked decrease in HIV-1 LTR activation by the CB2 ligands.

Together, these results indicate that CB2 may offer a means to limit HIV-1 infection in macrophages.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23463725

Pot patch considered medical breakthrough

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“Advocates are fighting to legalize marijuana. The University of Mississippi has the only legally grown marijuana crop in the nation.Faculty members and student researchers have now developed a new patch that could potentially provide help to patients who need it.

The patch developed at Ole Miss could help patients overcome problems associated with taking the drug in pill form. The patch is placed above the gum line.

“In addition to pain, it will include things like reducing intraocular pressure and therefore would be good for glaucoma. [It] will be good for alleviating the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy; it would also be good for appetite stimulation for patients suffering from the syndrome, anti-inflammatory activity, anti-anxiety,” explains Dr. ElSohly.”

More: http://www.myfoxal.com/story/21116615/pot-patch-offers-medicinal-marijuana-treatment-at-ole-miss