Tag Archives: Cannabinoids

New insights into antimetastatic and antiangiogenic effects of cannabinoids.

Posted on by

“Cannabinoids exert antitumorigenic effects via multiple mechanisms.

Of these, antimetastatic and antiangiogenic actions have attracted considerable interest in the past years…

This chapter reviews the cell- and substance-specific antitumorigenic mechanisms of cannabinoids with particular consideration of their antimetastatic/anti-invasive and antiangiogenic actions.

In addition, beneficial interactions of cannabinoids with currently used chemotherapeutics as well as the influence of cannabinoids on tumor-immune surveillance are addressed.

Collectively, the currently available data suggest cannabinoids as a potential tool in modern cancer pharmacotherapy.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25619715

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

The effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol alone and in combination on damage, inflammation and in vitro motility disturbances in rat colitis

Posted on by

“Cannabis is taken as self-medication by patients with inflammatory bowel disease for symptomatic relief.

Cannabinoid receptor agonists decrease inflammation in animal models of colitis, but their effects on the disturbed motility is not known. (-)-Cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to interact with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in behavioural studies, but it remains to be established if these cannabinoids interact in vivo in inflammatory disorders.

Therefore the effects of CBD and THC alone and in combination were investigated in a model of colitis…

In this model of colitis, THC and CBD not only reduced inflammation but also lowered the occurrence of functional disturbances. Moreover the combination of CBD and THC could be beneficial therapeutically, via additive or potentiating effects.

As the two phytocannabinoids modulate the immune system and differ in their pharmacological profile, their combination could be more beneficial than either drug alone. Additionally CBD could not only potentiate the therapeutic effects of THC, but also attenuate some of its undesirable effects…”

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2931570/

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

Protective effects of cannabidiol on lesion-induced intervertebral disc degeneration.

Posted on by

“Disc degeneration is a multifactorial process that involves hypoxia, inflammation, neoinnervation, accelerated catabolism, and reduction in water and glycosaminoglycan content…

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the major nonpsychotropic phytocannabinoid of Cannabis sativa (up to 40% of Cannabis extracts). Contrary to most cannabinoids, CBD does not produce psychotomimetic or cognitive effects. Interesting, in the last years it has been suggest that CBD produces a plethora of others pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-proliferative, anti-anxiety, hypnotic and antiepileptic, anti-nausea, anti-ischemic, anti-hyperalgesic, and anti-inflammatory…

The present study investigated the effects of cannabidiol intradiscal injection in the coccygeal intervertebral disc degeneration induced by the needle puncture model using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological analyses…

 Cannabidiol significantly attenuated the effects of disc injury induced by the needle puncture. Considering that cannabidiol presents an extremely safe profile and is currently being used clinically, these results suggest that this compound could be useful in the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.

 In summary our study revealed anti-degenerative effects of intradiscal microinjection of CBD 120 nmol. CBD represents one of the most promising candidates present in the Cannabis sativa plant for clinical use due to its remarkable lack of cognitive or psychotomimetic actions.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4269422/

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/spinal-cord-injury/

Activation of cannabinoid receptor 2 attenuates synovitis and joint distruction in collagen-induced arthritis.

Posted on by

“Recent studies have suggested immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R) activation, which is devoid of psychoactivity. We have demonstrated the expression of CB2R in synovial tissue from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and its specific activation shows inhibitory effects on fibroblast-like synoviocytes. However, it is still unclear whether selective activation of CB2R inhibits joint inflammation or protects joint damage in RA.

CONCLUSIONS:

Activation of CB2R by HU-308 has therapeutic potential for RA to suppress synovitis and alleviate joint destruction by inhibiting the production of autoantibodies and proinflammatory cytokines.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25601571

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

Endocannabinoids and acute pain after total knee arthroplasty.

Posted on by

“Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a progressive disease that is associated with inflammation of the joints and lower extremity pain. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a surgical procedure that aims to reduce pain and restore motor function in patients suffering from OA. The immediate postoperative period can be intensely painful leading to extended recovery times including persistent pain.

The endocannabinoid system regulates nociception, and the activation of cannabinoid receptors produces antinociceptive effects in preclinical models of OA…

Taken together, our results are the first to reveal associations between central and peripheral endocannabinoid levels and postoperative pain. This suggests that endocannabinoid metabolism may serve as a target for the development of novel analgesics both for systemic or local delivery into the joint.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25599456

Role of endocannabinoid signalling in the dorsolateral periaqueductal grey in the modulation of distinct panic-like responses.

Posted on by

“Since the cannabinoid CB1 receptor modulates various types of aversive responses, this study tested the hypothesis that enhancement of endocannabinoid signalling in the dorsolateral periaqueductal grey inhibits panic-like reactions in rats…

The present results confirm the anti-aversive property of direct CB1 receptor activation in the dorsolateral periaqueductal grey…

Altogether, these results suggest that anandamide signalling is recruited only under certain types of aversive stimuli.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25601395

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/panic-attack/

Cannabinoid Signaling and Neuroinflammatory Diseases: A Melting pot for the Regulation of Brain Immune Responses.

Posted on by

“The concept of the central nervous system (CNS) as an immune-privileged site, essentially due to the presence of the blood brain barrier, appears to be overly simplistic. Indeed, within healthy CNS immune activities are permitted and are required for neuronal function and host defense, not only due to the presence of the resident innate immune cells of the brain, but also by virtue of a complex cross-talk of the CNS with peripheral immune cells.

Nonetheless, long-standing and persisting neuroinflammatory responses are most often detrimental and characterize several neuroinflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

A growing body of evidence suggests that Cannabis sativa-derived phytocannabinoids, as well as synthetic cannabinoids, are endowed with significant immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, both in peripheral tissues and in the CNS, through the activation of cannabinoid receptors.

In this review, the immunomodulatory effects of cannabinoid signaling on the most relevant brain immune cells will be discussed. In addition, the impact of cannabinoid regulation on the overall integration of the manifold brain immune responses will also be highlighted, along with the implication of these compounds as potential agents for the management of neuroinflammatory disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25601726

Cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the dorsal hippocampus and prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex modulate anxiety-like behavior in rats: additional evidence.

Posted on by

“Endocannabinoids (ECBs) such as anandamide (AEA) act by activating cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) or 2 (CB2) receptors. The anxiolytic effect of drugs that facilitate ECB effects is associated with increase in AEA levels in several encephalic areas, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC).

Activation of CB1 receptors by CB1 agonists injected directly into these areas is usually anxiolytic.

However, depending on the encephalic region being investigated and on the stressful experiences, opposite effects were observed, as reported in the ventral HIP. In addition, contradictory results have been reported after CB1 activation in the dorsal HIP (dHIP).

Therefore, in the present paper we have attempted to verify if directly interfering with ECB metabolism/reuptake in the prelimbic (PL) portion of the medial PFC (MPFC) and dHIP would produce different effects in two conceptually distinct animal models: the elevated plus maze (EPM) and the Vogel conflict test (VCT).

We observed drugs which interfere with ECB reuptake/metabolism in both the PL and in the dentate gyrus of the dHIP induced anxiolytic-like effect, in both the EPM and in the VCT via CB1 receptors, suggesting CB1 signaling in these brain regions modulate defensive responses to both innate and learned threatening stimuli.

This data further strengthens previous results indicating modulation of hippocampal and MPFC activity via CB1 by ECBs, which could be therapeutically targeted to treat anxiety disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25595265

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

Two non-psychoactive cannabinoids reduce intra-cellular lipid levels and inhibit hepatosteatosis.

Posted on by

“Obesity and associated metabolic syndrome have quickly become a pandemic and a major detriment to human health globally.

The presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD; hepatosteatosis) in obesity has been linked to the worsening of the metabolic syndrome, including the development of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. Currently, there are few options to treat NAFLD, including life style changes and insulin sensitizers.

Recent evidence suggests that the cannabinoids Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) and cannabidiol (CBD) improve insulin sensitivity; we aimed at studying their effects on lipid levels…

THCV and CBD directly reduce accumulated lipid levels in vitro in a hepatosteatosis model and adipocytes.

…these cannabinoids are able to increase yolk lipid mobilization and inhibit the development of hepatosteatosis respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results suggest that THCV and CBD might be used as new therapeutic agents for the pharmacological treatment of obesity- and metabolic syndrome-related NAFLD/hepatosteatosis.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25595882

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

Medical marijuana for cancer.

Posted on by

“Marijuana has been used for centuries, and interest in its medicinal properties has been increasing in recent years. Investigations into these medicinal properties has led to the development of cannabinoid pharmaceuticals such as dronabinol, nabilone, and nabiximols.

Dronabinol is best studied in the treatment of nausea secondary to cancer chemotherapy and anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for those indications.

Nabilone has been best studied for the treatment of nausea secondary to cancer chemotherapy. There are also limited studies of these drugs for other conditions.

Nabiximols is only available in the United States through clinical trials, but is used in Canada and the United Kingdom for the treatment of spasticity secondary to multiple sclerosis and pain.

Studies of marijuana have concentrated on nausea, appetite, and pain.

This article will review the literature regarding the medical use of marijuana and these cannabinoid pharmaceuticals (with emphasis on indications relevant to oncology)”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25503438

“Both cannabis and cannabinoid pharmaceuticals can be helpful for a number of problems, including many affecting patients with cancer… given the limitations inherent in using oral medications to treat nausea and vomiting, inhalation of marijuana or a cannabinoid may be better than oral ingestion in treating this condition.” http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21260/full

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