Tag Archives: endocannabinoid system

Role of Endocannabinoids on Neuroinflammation in Autism Spectrum Disorder Prevention

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) disease has become a mounting socio-economical alarm around the world. Neuroinflammtion had been shown in postmortem brain specimens from ASD patients.

The Endocannabinoids System (ES) consists of a family of locally produced, short-lived, endogenous, phospholipid-derived agonists (endocannabinoids) that control energy balance and body composition. The growing number of medical benefits of ES, such as their ability to regulate processes like neuroinflammation, neurogenesis and memory, raise the question of their potential role as a preventive treatment of ASD.

The complex nature of ASD advocates a multimodal drug approach that could protect from the various processes underlying neurodegeneration and thus, at minimum, delay the pathological process. The expected benefit from a chronic treatment aimed at stimulating the endocannabinoid system is a delayed progression of ASD: i.e., reduced inflammation, sustained potential for neurogenesis, and delayed memory impairment. Such results could lead to new therapeutic strategies that target the inflammation and the decline in neurogenesis associated ASD.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5535348/
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Cannabinoid system of dorsomedial telencephalon modulates behavioral responses to noxious stimulation in the fish Leporinus macrocephalus.

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“Fish dorsomedial telencephalon has been considered a pallial region homologous to mammals amygdala, being considered a possible substrate for nociception modulation in this animal group. The present study aimed to evaluate the participation of the cannabinoid system of Dm telencephalon on nociception modulation in the fish Leporinus macrocephalus. We demonstrated that cannabidiol microinjection in Dm telecephalon inhibits the behavioral nociceptive response to the subcutaneous injection of 3% formaldehyde, and this antinociception is blocked by previous treatment with AM251 microinjection. Furthermore, AM251 microinjection in Dm prior to restraint stress also blockades the stress-induced antinociception. These results reinforce the hypothesis that this pallial telencephalic structure has a pivotal role in nociception modulation in fish.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28754268 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938417302299?via%3Dihub]]>

Interactions between the Kynurenine and the Endocannabinoid System with Special Emphasis on Migraine.

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“Both the kynurenine and the endocannabinoid systems are involved in several neurological disorders, such as migraine and there are increasing number of reports demonstrating that there are interactions of two systems. Although their cooperation has not yet been implicated in migraine, there are reports suggesting this possibility. Additionally, the individual role of the endocannabinoid and kynurenine system in migraine is reviewed here first, focusing on endocannabinoids, kynurenine metabolites, in particular kynurenic acid. Finally, the function of NMDA and cannabinoid receptors in the trigeminal system-which has a crucial role in the pathomechanisms of migraine-will also be discussed. The interaction of the endocannabinoid and kynurenine system has been demonstrated to be therapeutically relevant in a number of pathological conditions, such as cannabis addiction, psychosis, schizophrenia and epilepsy. Accordingly, the cross-talk of these two systems may imply potential mechanisms related to migraine, and may offer new approaches to manage the treatment of this neurological disorder.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28758944 http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/18/8/1617]]>

Could Cannabidiol be a Treatment Option for Intractable Childhood and Adolescent Epilepsy?

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 “Epilepsy is an important disease that affects brain function, particularly in those under 3 years old. Uncontrolled seizures can affect cognitive function and quality of life. For these reasons, many trials have been conducted to investigate treatments for pediatric epilepsy. Currently, many antiepileptic drugs are available for the treatment of epilepsy, but cases of intractable epilepsy continue to exist. In the past, cannabis has been tested as a potential treatment of intractable epilepsy. Since 2013, 10 epilepsy centers in America have conducted research regarding the efficacy of cannabis to treat epilepsy. Cannabis has many components, including cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC has psychoactive properties exerted through its binding of the cannabinoid receptor (CBR) whereas CBD is a CBR antagonist. The inhibition of epilepsy by CBD may therefore be caused by various mechanisms, although the detailed mechanisms of CBD actions have not yet been well defined. In most studies, trial doses of CBD were 2-5 mg/kg/day. Several such studies have shown that CBD does have efficacy for treatment of epilepsy. Reported adverse effects of CBD were mostly mild, including drowsiness, diarrhea, and decreased appetite. Severe adverse reactions requiring treatment, such as status epilepticus, have also been reported but it is not clear that this is related to CBD. Furthermore, many previous studies have been limited by an open-label or survey design. In future, double-blind, controlled trials are required and the use of CBD to treat other neurological problems should also be investigated.”  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28775950 “Most studies suggest anticonvulsant effects of CBD, and consider most adverse effects to be mild. It must be borne in mind that CBD is still illegal in many contexts. However, it has the potential to treat various neurological problems, including epilepsy.” http://www.j-epilepsy.org/journal/view.php?doi=10.14581/jer.17003
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