“Displacement binding assays are nonfunctional assays mostly used with the aim of determining whether a certain compound (plant-derived or synthetic) is able to bind to a specific receptor with high affinity. Here, we describe the displacement binding assay that is carried out with a radioligand and CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovarian) cells stably transfected with the human cannabinoid CB2 receptor.”
Tag Archives: plant
Can Cannabinoids Modulate Fibrotic Progression in Systemic Sclerosis?
“Since ancient times, plants have been used for therapeutic purposes.
Cannabis sativa has been widely used as a medicinal herb by Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.
According to our in vitro and in vivo experimental models, cannabinoids are able to modulate fibrosis.
The exact mechanism underlying this effect requires further investigation, but it seems to go beyond their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties.
Based on the above observations, we aimed to investigate the role of cannabinoids in systemic sclerosis (SSc), an autoimmune disease characterized by diffuse fibrosis.
Since preclinical data on cannabinoids show their capability to modulate fibrosis, inflammation and vasodilatation, these molecules could be ideal drugs for targeting SSc.”
[MEDICAL CANNABIS].
“The cannabis plant has been known to humanity for centuries as a remedy for pain, diarrhea and inflammation.
Current research is inspecting the use of cannabis for many diseases, including multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, dystonia, and chronic pain.
In inflammatory conditions cannabinoids improve pain in rheumatoid arthritis and: pain and diarrhea in Crohn’s disease.
Despite their therapeutic potential, cannabinoids are not free of side effects including psychosis, anxiety, paranoia, dependence and abuse.
Controlled clinical studies investigating the therapeutic potential of cannabis are few and small, whereas pressure for expanding cannabis use is increasing.
Currently, as long as cannabis is classified as an illicit drug and until further controlled studies are performed, the use of medical cannabis should be limited to patients who failed conventional better established treatment.”
Cannabinoid receptor genes.
“Cannabinoids are the constituents of the marijuana plant (cannabis sativa) of which the major active ingredient is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC). Rapid progress has been achieved in marijuana research in the last five years than in the thousands of years that marijuana has been used in human history.
For many decades therefore, research on the molecular and neurobiological bases of the physiological and neurobehavioral effects of marijuana was hampered by the lack of specific research tools and technology. The situation has started to change with the availability of molecular probes and other recombinant molecules that have led to major advances.
Recent advances include the cloning of the cDNA sequences encoding the rat, human and the mouse peripheral and CNS cannabinoid receptors. In addition a putative ligand, anandamide, thought to represent the endogenous cannabis-like substance that binds the cannabinoid receptors, has been isolated from the brain.
This achievement has opened a whole new neurochemical system particularly as the physiological and pharmacological properties of anandamide indicate a possible neuromodulatory or neurotransmitter role.
The recent demonstration of a potent and selective antagonist for CBl receptors may become an important and powerful investigative tool. Future progress on the neurobiology of cannabinoid research may include data on the use of antisense strategies and gene targeting approach to further understand the mechanism(s) of action of cannabinoids which has been slow to emerge.
We conclude that these are exciting times for cannabis research which has given us anandamide–a substance of inner bliss.”
Synthetic Cannabinoids versus Natural Marijuana: A Comparison of Expectations
“A new study evaluated the expected outcomes of both synthetic and natural marijuana.
An article entitled “Comparison of Outcome Expectancies for Synthetic Cannabinoids and Botanical Marijuana,” from The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, studied the expected outcomes of both synthetic and natural marijuana.
186 adults who had previously used both synthetic and natural marijuana, as well as 181 who had previously used only botanical marijuana, were surveyed about their expected outcomes of using either type of cannabinoid.
The results showed that the expected negative effects were significantly higher for synthetic marijuana than for natural marijuana across both categories of use history.
Despite the more commonly expected negative effects of synthetic cannabinoids, the most cited reasons for using these compounds were wider availability, avoiding a positive drug test, curiosity, perceived legality, and cost.
Authors concluded, “Given growing public acceptance of recreational and medical marijuana, coupled with negative perceptions and increasing regulation of synthetic cannabinoid compounds, botanical marijuana is likely to remain more available and more popular than synthetic cannabinoids.”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160427081800.htm
“Comparison of outcome expectancies for synthetic cannabinoids and botanical marijuana.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26910181
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The endogenous cannabinoid system protects against colonic inflammation
“Excessive inflammatory responses can emerge as a potential danger for organisms’ health.
Our results indicate that the endogenous cannabinoid system represents a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of intestinal disease conditions characterized by excessive inflammatory responses.
The major active constituent of the plant Cannabis sativa (marijuana), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and a variety of natural and synthetic cannabinoids have been shown to possess antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities.
For millennia, Cannabis preparations have been used in folk medicine for the treatment of a wide variety of disorders, including those affecting the gastrointestinal tract. A century ago, extracts of Cannabis were used in the US to treat gastrointestinal pain of different origins, gastroenteritis, and diarrhea. There are also anecdotal reports suggesting that marijuana may be effective in alleviating symptoms of Crohn disease.
In conclusion, this study shows that the endogenous cannabinoid system is physiologically involved in the protection against excessive inflammation in the colon, both by dampening smooth muscular irritation caused by inflammation and by controlling cellular pathways leading to inflammatory responses.
These results strongly suggest that modulation of the physiological activity of the endogenous cannabinoid system during colonic inflammation might be a promising therapeutic tool for the treatment of several diseases characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.”
https://www.jci.org/articles/view/19465
“A mouse study demonstrated that endogenous cannabinoid system signaling is likely to provide intrinsic protection against colonic inflammation. As a result, a hypothesis that phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids may be useful in the risk reduction and treatment of colorectal cancer has been developed.” http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/cannabis-pdq#section/_7
Cannabidiol attenuates catalepsy induced by distinct pharmacological mechanisms via 5-HT1A receptor activation in mice.
“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychotomimetic compound from Cannabis sativa plant that produces antipsychotic effects in rodents and humans.
It also reverses L-dopa-induced psychotic symptoms and improves motor function in Parkinson’s patients. This latter effect raised the possibility that CBD could have beneficial effects on motor related striatal disorders.
To investigate this possibility we evaluated if CBD would prevent catalepsy induced by drugs with distinct pharmacological mechanisms.
These findings indicate that CBD can attenuate catalepsy caused by different mechanisms (D2 blockade, NOS inhibition and CB1 agonism) via 5-HT1A receptor activation, suggesting that it could be useful in the treatment of striatal disorders.”
Cannabidiol attenuates haloperidol-induced catalepsy and c-Fos protein expression in the dorsolateral striatum via 5-HT1A receptors in mice.
“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major non-psychoactive compound from Cannabis sativa plant.
Given that CBD reduces psychotic symptoms without inducing extrapyramidal motor side-effects in animal models and schizophrenia patients, it has been proposed to act as an atypical antipsychotic.
In addition, CBD reduced catalepsy induced by drugs with distinct pharmacological mechanisms, including the typical antipsychotic haloperidol.
Altogether, these results suggest that CBD acts in the dorsal striatum to improve haloperidol-induced catalepsy via postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors.”
The Endocannabinoid System: An Osteopathic Perspective
“A person is the product of dynamic interaction between body, mind, and spirit—This holistic principle is exemplified by cannabinoid receptors, which span the field of psychoneuroimmunology. Taken together, CB1, CB2, and their endocannabinoid ligands represent a microcosm of mind-body medicine. The primary purpose of the current article is to review the expanding endocannabinoid literature beginning with exogenous compounds—Cannabis and plant cannabinoids—and then shift to the endogenous system, highlighting embryology and development, neuroprotection, autonomics and immunity, inflammation, apoptosis, hunger and feeding, and nociception and pain.” http://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2093607
In Vitro Propagation of Cannabis sativa L. and Evaluation of Regenerated Plants for Genetic Fidelity and Cannabinoids Content for Quality Assurance.
“Cannabis sativa L. (Marijuana; Cannabaceae), one of the oldest medicinal plants in the world, has been used throughout history for fiber, food, as well as for its psychoactive properties.
The dioecious and allogamous nature of C. sativa is the major constraint to maintain the consistency in chemical profile and overall efficacy if grown from seed. Therefore, the present optimized in vitro propagation protocol of the selected elite germplasm via direct organogenesis and quality assurance protocols using genetic and chemical profiling provide an ideal pathway for ensuring the efficacy of micropropagated Cannabis sativa germplasm.
A high frequency shoot organogenesis of C. sativa was obtained from nodal segments in 0.5 μM thidiazuron medium and 95 % in vitro rhizogenesis is obtained on half-strength MS medium supplemented with 500 mg/L activated charcoal and 2.5 μM indole-3-butyric acid. Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) and Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID) are successfully used to monitor the genetic stability in micropropagated plants up to 30 passages in culture and hardened in soil for 8 months.”