Tag Archives: Cannabinoids

Targeting the cannabinoid system for pain relief?

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“Marijuana has been used to relieve pain for centuries, but its analgesic mechanism has only been understood during the past two decades. It is mainly mediated by its constituents, cannabinoids, through activating central cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors, as well as peripheral CB1 and CB2receptors.

CB2-selective agonists have the benefit of lacking CB1 receptor-mediated CNS side effects. Anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are two intensively studied endogenous lipid ligands of cannabinoid receptors, termed endocannabinoids, which are synthesized on demand and rapidly degraded…

In addition to the antinociceptive properties of  exogenous cannabinoids and endocannabinoids, involving their biosynthesis and degradation processes, we also review recent studies that revealed a novel analgesic mechanism, involving 2-AG in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a midbrain region for initiating descending pain inhibition…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24529672

Detailed characterization of the endocannabinoid system in human macrophages and foam cells, and anti-inflammatory role of type-2 cannabinoid receptor.

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“Here, we sought to ascertain whether different elements of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) were activated in human lipid-laden macrophages, and whether CB2R played any role in atherogenesis and inflammation of these cells…

CONCLUSIONS:

A fully active ECS is present in human macrophages and macrophage-derived foam cells. Selective activation of CB2R reduces CD36-dependent oxLDL accumulation and modulates production of inflammatory cytokines, thus representing a potential therapeutic strategy to combat atherosclerosis.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24529123

Efficacy and safety of medical cannabinoids in older subjects: a systematic review.

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“This systematic review aims to integrate the evidence on indications, efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of medical cannabinoids in older subjects…

Although trials studying medical cannabinoids included older subjects, there is a lack of evidence of its use specifically in older patients. Adequately powered trials are needed to assess the efficacy and safety of cannabinoids in older subjects, as the potential symptomatic benefit is especially attractive in this age group.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24509411

Endocannabinoid Modulation of Cortical Up-States and NREM Sleep.

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“We hypothesized that the endocannabinoid (EC) system, a neuromodulatory system intrinsic to the cortical microcircuitry, is an important regulator of up-states and sleep…

Overall, these findings demonstrate that the EC system actively regulates cortical up-states and important features of NREM sleep such as its duration and low frequency cortical oscillations.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24520411

Anticoagulant effects of a Cannabis extract in an obese rat model.

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“Blood coagulation studies were conducted to determine the possible anti-/prothrombotic effect of an organic cannabis extract and the three major cannabinoids, THC, CBD and CBN…

The study thus shows that Cannabis sativa and the cannabinoids, THC and CBN, display anticoagulant activity and may be useful in the treatment of diseases such as type 2 diabetes in which a hypercoagulable state exists.”

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16644197

Mom looks to medical marijuana to cure daughter’s seizures

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“Kaercher said no matter what treatments Grace is on, the seizures continue. She has tried every option except medical marijuana, which isn’t legal in Pennsylvania,

Kaercher said. “Marijuana isn’t that extreme compared to all these other things we have done,” Kaercher said. Kaercher, 45, has watched her daughter suffer from seizures since Grace was a baby. Kaercher said Grave is so brave for going out into the world every day and her heart breaks every time Grace has a seizure.“It’s been a long road for us,” Kaercher said. “We hope medical marijuana will be a viable option for her.””

More: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140211/mom-looks-to-medical-marijuana-to-cure-daughters-seizures

The endocannabinoid system controls food intake via olfactory processes.

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“Hunger arouses sensory perception, eventually leading to an increase in food intake, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We found that cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptors promote food intake in fasted mice by increasing odor detection.

CB1 receptors were abundantly expressed on axon terminals of centrifugal cortical glutamatergic neurons that project to inhibitory granule cells of the main olfactory bulb (MOB).

Local pharmacological and genetic manipulations revealed that endocannabinoids and exogenous cannabinoids increased odor detection and food intake in fasted mice by decreasing excitatory drive from olfactory cortex areas to the MOB.

Consistently, cannabinoid agonists dampened in vivo optogenetically stimulated excitatory transmission in the same circuit.

Our data indicate that cortical feedback projections to the MOB crucially regulate food intake via CB1 receptor signaling, linking the feeling of hunger to stronger odor processing.Thus, CB1 receptor-dependent control of cortical feedback projections in olfactory circuits couples internal states to perception and behavior.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24509429

Cannabinoids inhibit cholinergic contraction in human airways through prejunctional CB1 receptors

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“Here, we sought to assess the effects of natural and synthetic cannabinoids on cholinergic bronchial contraction…

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, WIN55,212-2 and CP55,940 induced concentration-dependent inhibition of cholinergic contraction… 

Conclusions and implications

Activation of prejunctional CB1-receptors appears to mediate the inhibition of electrical field stimulation-evoked cholinergic contraction in human bronchus.

This feature may explain the acute bronchodilation produced by marijuana smoking.”

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.12597/abstract

Altered Expression of the CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor in the Triple Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease.

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“The endocannabinoid system has gained much attention as a new potential pharmacotherapeutic target in various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

…The altered CB1 levels appear, rather, to be age-and/or pathology-dependent, indicating an involvement of the endocannabinoid system in AD pathology and supporting the ECS as a potential novel therapeutic target for treatment of AD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24496074