Tag Archives: treatment

In vitro and non-invasive in vivo effects of the cannabinoid-1 receptor agonist AM841 on gastrointestinal motor function in the rat.

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“Cannabinoids have been traditionally used for the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, but the associated central effects, through cannabinoid-1 receptors (CB1R), constitute an important drawback. Our aims were to characterize the effects of the recently developed highly potent long-acting megagonist AM841 on GI motor function and to determine its central effects in rats…

The CB1R megagonist AM841 may potently depress GI motor function in the absence of central effects. This effect may be mediated peripherally and may be useful in the treatment of GI motility disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26387676

Effect of combined doses of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) on acute and anticipatory nausea using rat (Sprague- Dawley) models of conditioned gaping.

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“Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) found in cannabis both reduce the distressing symptom of nausea…

Combined subthreshold doses of THC  and CBDA reduced acute nausea.

Higher doses of THC or CBDA alone, as well as these combined doses also reduced acute nausea.

Combined subthreshold doses of THC:CBDA are particularly effective as a treatment for acute nausea. At higher doses, CBDA may attenuate THC-induced interference with learning.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26381155

[Cannabis – therapy for the future?]

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“Despite all the progress achieved in the treatment of chronic gastrointestinal diseases, in some patients the treatment does not reach long-term optimum effectiveness. Therefore a number of patients have turned to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Of the different types of CAM patients with GIT diseases tend to prefer in particular homeopathy, acupuncture and not least phytotherapy, where therapeutic use of cannabis may also be included.

The pathophysiological basis of therapeutic effect of curative cannabis has not been fully clarified so far.

Many scientists in many fields of medicine and pharmacology have been engaged in the study of effects of cannabinoids on the body since the beginning of the 20th century with the interest significantly increasing in the 1980s.

The discovery of CB receptors (1988) and endogenous molecules which activate these receptors (1992) led to the discovery of the endocannabinoid system.

Pharmacological modulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system offers new therapeutic possibilities of treatment of many illnesses and symptoms including the GIT disorders, including of nausea, vomiting, cachexia, IBS, Crohns disease and some other disorders.

Cannabinoids are attractive due to their therapeutic potential – they affect a lot of symptoms with minimum side effects.

Experience of patients with GIT disorders show that the use of cannabis is effective and helps in cases where the standard therapy fails.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26375695

New insights on the role of the endocannabinoid system in the regulation of energy balance.

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“Within the last 15 years, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) has emerged as a lipid signaling system critically involved in the regulation of energy balance, since it exerts a regulatory control on every aspect related to the search, the intake, the metabolism and the storage of calories.

An overactive endocannabinoid-cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor signaling promotes the development of obesity, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, representing a valuable pharmacotherapeutic target for obesity and metabolic disorders.

However, due to psychiatric side effects, the first generation of brain-penetrant CB1 receptor blockers developed as anti-obesity treatment was removed from the European market in late 2008.

Since then, recent studies have identified new mechanisms of action of the ECS in energy balance and metabolism, as well as novel ways of targeting the system that may be efficacious for the treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26374449

Cannabinoids for treatment of spasticity and other symptoms related to multiple sclerosis (CAMS study): multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial.

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“Multiple sclerosis is associated with muscle stiffness, spasms, pain, and tremor. Much anecdotal evidence suggests that cannabinoids could help these symptoms.

Our aim was to test the notion that cannabinoids have a beneficial effect on spasticity and other symptoms related to multiple sclerosis.

There was evidence of a treatment effect on patient-reported spasticity and pain, with improvement in spasticity…

INTERPRETATION:

Treatment with cannabinoids did not have a beneficial effect on spasticity when assessed with the Ashworth scale. However… objective improvement in mobility and patients’ opinion of an improvement in pain suggest cannabinoids might be clinically useful.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14615106

Cannabinoids in multiple sclerosis (CAMS) study: safety and efficacy data for 12 months follow up

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“To test the effectiveness and long term safety of cannabinoids in multiple sclerosis (MS), in a follow up to the main Cannabinoids in Multiple Sclerosis (CAMS) study.

There was suggestive evidence for treatment effects of Δ9-THC on some aspects of disability.

There were no major safety concerns.

Overall, patients felt that these drugs were helpful in treating their disease.

These data provide limited evidence for a longer term treatment effect of cannabinoids.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1739436/

Inhaled cannabis for chronic neuropathic pain: an individual patient data meta-analysis.

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“Chronic neuropathic pain, the most frequent condition affecting the peripheral nervous system, remains under-diagnosed and difficult to treat.

Inhaled cannabis may alleviate chronic neuropathic pain.

Our objective was to synthesize the evidence on inhaled cannabis for chronic neuropathic pain.

This novel Bayesian individual patient data meta-analysis of five randomized trials suggests that inhaled cannabis may provide short term relief for one in five to six patients with neuropathic pain.

Pragmatic trials are need to evaluate the long-term benefits and risks of this treatment.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26362106

Potential Therapeutic Value of a Novel FAAH Inhibitor for the Treatment of Anxiety.

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“Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric diseases with high personal costs and a remarkable socio-economic burden. However, current treatment of anxiety is far from satisfactory.

Novel pharmacological targets have emerged in the recent years, and attention has focused on the endocannabinoid (eCB) system, given the increasing evidence that supports its central role in emotion, coping with stress and anxiety.

In the management of anxiety disorders, drug development strategies have left apart the direct activation of type-1 cannabinoid receptors to indirectly enhance eCB signalling through the inhibition of eCB deactivation, that is, the inhibition of the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) enzyme.

In the present study, we provide evidence for the anxiolytic-like properties of a novel, potent and selective reversible inhibitor of FAAH, ST4070, orally administered to rodents.

Altogether, ST4070 offers a promising anxiolytic-like profile in preclinical studies, although further studies are warranted to clearly demonstrate its efficacy in the clinic management of anxiety disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26360704

Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCv) reduces Default Mode Network and increases Executive Control Network Resting State Functional Connectivity in Healthy Volunteers.

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“The cannabinoid CB1 Neutral Antagonist Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCv) has been suggested as a possible treatment for obesity but without the depressogenic side-effects of inverse antagonists such as Rimonabant.

Our findings are the first to show that treatment with the CB1 neutral antagonist THCv decreases resting state functional connectivity in the Default Mode network and increases connectivity in the Cognitive Control network and Dorsal Visual Stream network.

This effect profile suggests possible therapeutic activity of THCv for obesity where functional connectivity has been found to be altered in these regions.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26362774

Assessment of Israeli Physicians’ Knowledge, Experience and Attitudes towards Medical Cannabis: A Pilot Study.

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“Cannabis has been used throughout history for different purposes but was outlawed in the United States in 1937; many countries followed suit. Although recently reintroduced as a medical treatment in several countries, the use of cannabis in Israel is permitted for some medical purposes but is still controversial, eliciting heated public and professional debate. The few published studies on physicians’ attitudes to medical cannabis found them to be generally unsupportive.

OBJECTIVES:

To examine, for the first time, the experience, knowledge and attitudes of Israeli physicians towards medical cannabis (MC)…

Physicians generally agreed that MC treatment could be helpful for chronic and for terminally ill patients. Oncologists and pain specialists did not agree unanimously that MC can undermine mental health, whereas other physicians did. Physicians who recommended MC in the past (once or more) agreed, more than physicians who did not, with the statement “MC treatment in Israel is accessible to patients who need it”.

CONCLUSIONS:

In contrast to other studies we found partial acceptance of MC as a therapeutic agent. Further in-depth studies are needed to address regulatory and educational needs.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26357721