Best of the Week...
A new study from CV Sciences shows CBD reducing nicotine withdrawal symptoms in rats
Cannabidiol reduces withdrawal symptoms in nicotine-dependent rats
CV Sciences medical adviser Dr. Jamie Corroon publishes a primer for clinicians on using topical CBD for pain
Topical CBD for Pain: A primer for clinicians
In a rat model of neuropathic pain, CBD helped on several different measures of pain & anxiety
Cannabidiol effectively reverses mechanical and thermal allodynia, hyperalgesia, and anxious behaviors in a neuropathic pain model: Possible role of CB1 and TRPV1 receptors
In a rodent model of depression, CBD prevented “both behavioral & neuro-immunological changes associated” with depression as well as modulating neuroinflammation
Cannabidiol prevents lipopolysaccharide-induced sickness behavior and alters cytokine and neurotrophic factor levels in the brain
In rats with nerve injuries, CBD helped with pain & symptoms of depression via the serotonin receptors & CB1 receptors
Cannabidiol in the prelimbic cortex modulates the comorbid condition between the chronic neuropathic pain and depression-like behaviour in rats: The role of medial prefrontal cortex 5-HT 1A and CB 1 receptors
In mice, CBD helped to reduce binge eating behavior
Cannabidiol reduces binge eating behavior in mice
In rats addicted to methamphetamine, CBD protected the brain from damage
Cannabidiol Modulates the Expression of Neurotrophin Signaling Pathway in Chronic Exposure Methamphetamine Rats During Abstinence Period
In a mouse model of post-surgical pain, β-Caryophyllene (the terpene most often found in the hemp plant) inhibited the MAGL enzyme & thus increased 2-AG levels to help treat the pain
β-Caryophyllene inhibits monoacylglycerol lipase activity and increases 2-AG levels: a new mechanism of endocannabinoid-mediated analgesia?
β-Caryophyllene is often referred to as a dietary cannabinoid because it activates the CB2 receptor all by itself. It was the first ligand of a cannabinoid receptor to come from the plant that was fundamentally different from the classic cannabinoid structure.
Clinical Studies & Reviews of CBD & the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)
In humans, a test of CBD for pain found it safe & well-tolerated
The dose-dependent analgesic effects, abuse liability, safety and tolerability of oral cannabidiol in healthy humans
In humans with PTSD, the ability of exercise to help reduce threat expectancy is mediated via anandamide & BDNF (an important brain growth factor regulated by the ECS)
Exercise-induced increases in Anandamide and BDNF during extinction consolidation contribute to reduced threat following reinstatement: Preliminary evidence from a randomized controlled trial
A review of why the cannabinoids can be helpful for the neurological consequences of HIV
Confound, Cause, or Cure: The Effect of Cannabinoids on HIV-Associated Neurological Sequelae
In humans with Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome (a rare genetic disorder leading to fatal adult scarring of the heart), treatment with MRI-1867 (a dual inhibitor of the CB1 receptor & enzyme that creates the signaling molecule nitric oxide) prevented heart scarring & revered dysfunction of the mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell)
CB1R and iNOS are distinct players promoting pulmonary fibrosis in Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome
Preclinical Research & Cannabinoid Chemistry
In mice, CBD helped to modulate the addictive effects of the psychostimulant MDPV
Cannabidiol Modulates the Motivational and Anxiety-Like Effects of 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) in Mice
A new screening of THC & CBD against the CYP liver enzymes responsible for drug metabolism
Cannabinoid Interactions with Cytochrome P450 Drug Metabolism: a Full-Spectrum Characterization
In rats with depression from traumatic nerve pain, the injury seems to lower the levels of cannabinoids & lead to behavioral depression
Dynamic Change of Endocannabinoid Signaling in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Controls the Development of Depression after Neuropathic Pain
In rats, activating the CB2 receptor helped to protect against uterine damage
The Activation of Cannabinoid Type-2 Receptor with JWH-133 Protects Uterine Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Damage
In a rat model of glaucoma, activating the cannabinoid receptors protected the neurons associated with vision
VSN16S, an agonist of the cannabinoid receptor, reduces IOP profiles and exhibits neuroprotective properties in a rat model of glaucoma
In a cellular model of diabetic retinopathy (damage to the blood vessels at the back of the eye), activating the CB2 receptor decreased inflammation
Cannabinoid Receptor 2 Agonist HU-308 Demonstrates Therapeutic Potential in Inflammatory Diabetic Retinopathy Models
In mice, the brain’s medium spiny neurons – which contain the highest levels of CB1 receptors in the CNS – control exploration & motor coordination partially via the ECS
Control of exploration, motor coordination and amphetamine sensitization by cannabinoid CB 1 receptors expressed in medium spiny neurons
In a rat’s aorta, the drug affinin (a painkiller with a structure similar to anandamide) appears to act via the CB1, TRPV1 & TRPA1 receptors to cause vasodilation in the heart
Endothelial TRP channels and cannabinoid receptors are involved in affinin-induced vasodilation