Abstract Background: For patients with chronic, non-cancer pain, traditional pain-relieving medications include opioids, which have shown benefits but are associated with increased risks of addiction and adverse effects. Medical cannabis has emerged as a treatment alternative for managing these patients and there has been a rise in the number of randomized clinical trials in recent years; therefore, a systematic review of the evidence was warranted. Objective: To analyze the evidence surrounding the benefits and harms of medical cannabinoids in the treatment of chronic, non-cancer-related pain. Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis. Data sources: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Databases. Eligibility criteria: English...

Abstract Beyond being one the most widely used psychoactive drugs in the world, cannabis has been identified as an environmental risk factor for psychosis. Though the relationship between cannabis use and psychiatric disorders remains controversial, consistent association between early adolescent cannabis use and the subsequent risk of psychosis suggested adolescence may be a particularly vulnerable period. Previous findings on gene by environment interactions indicated that cannabis use may only increase the risk for psychosis in the subjects who have a specific genetic vulnerability. The type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1), encoded by the CNR1 gene, is a key component of the endocannabinoid system. As the primary endocannabinoid...

Abstract Endocannabinoid signaling depends upon the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, their endogenous ligands anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, and intracellular proteins that mediate responses via the C-terminal and other intracellular receptor domains. The CB1 receptor regulates and is regulated by associated G proteins predominantly of the Gi/o subtypes, β-arrestins 1 and 2, and the cannabinoid receptor-interacting protein 1a (CRIP1a). Evidence for a physiological role for CRIP1a is emerging as data regarding the cellular localization and function of CRIP1a are generated. Here we summarize the neuronal distribution and role of CRIP1a in endocannabinoid signaling, as well as discuss investigations linking CRIP1a to development, vision and hearing sensory systems, hippocampus...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract The endocannabinoid (EC) system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several metabolic diseases, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). With the current study we aimed to verify the modulatory effect of endocannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1)-signaling on perilipin 2 (PLIN2)-mediated lipophagy. Here, we demonstrate that a global knockout of the cannabinoid receptor 1 gene (CB1−/−) reduced the expression of the lipid droplet binding protein PLIN2 in the livers of CB1−/− and hepatitis B surface protein (HBs)-transgenic mice, which spontaneously develop hepatic steatosis. In addition, the pharmacologic activation and antagonization of CB1 in cell culture also caused an induction or reduction of PLIN2, respectively. The decreased PLIN2 expression was associated with suppressed lipogenesis and triglyceride (TG) synthesis and enhanced...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Objective: To synthesize the best evidence surrounding the efficacy of cannabinoids for acute pain in the clinical setting based on subjective pain scores and observed adverse effects. Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis. Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Databases, and Google Scholar. Eligibility Criteria: English-language randomized-controlled clinical trials comparing cannabinoids with placebo in patients with acute pain. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. All stages were conducted independently by a team of three reviewers. Data were pooled through meta-analysis and stratified by route of administration. Primary Outcomes and Measures: Patient-reported pain and adverse...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Study rationale Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a life-threatening complication of end-stage liver disease characterized by the rapid decline of kidney function. Herein, we explored the therapeutic potential of targeting the cannabinoid-2 receptor (CB2-R) utilizing a commonly used mouse model of liver fibrosis and hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), induced by bile duct ligation (BDL). Methods Gene expression analysis, histological evaluation, determination of serum levels of renal injury-biomarkers were used to characterize the BDL-induced organ injury; laser speckle analysis to measure microcirculation in the kidneys. Key results We found that liver injury triggered marked inflammation and oxidative stress in the kidneys of BDL-operated mice. We detected pronounced histopathological alterations with tubular injury paralleled...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Introduction: Medical cannabinoids have received significant mainstream media attention in recent times due to an evolving political and clinical landscape. Whilst the efficacy of cannabinoids in the treatment of some childhood epilepsy syndromes is increasingly recognized, medical cannabinoids may also have potential clinical roles in the treatment of older adults. Prescribing restrictions for medical cannabinoids in certain jurisdictions (including the UK) has recently been relaxed. However, few geriatricians have the detailed knowledge or awareness of the potential risks or rewards of utilizing cannabinoids in the older person; even fewer geriatricians have direct experience of using...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Recently, there have been increasing indications that the endocannabinoid (eCB) system is involved in vision. Multiple research teams studied the cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2R) expression and function in the mouse retina. Here, we examined the consequence of CB2R modulation on visual acuity using genetic and pharmacologic tools. We found that Cnr2 knockout mice show an enhanced visual acuity, CB2R activation decreased visual acuity while CB2R blockade with the inverse agonist AM630 increased it. The inhibition of 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) synthesis and degradation also greatly increased and decreased visual acuity, respectively. No differences were seen when the cannabinoid...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background Lung injury associated with cannabinoid oil vaping is rapidly becoming a serious public health concern. We describe the clinical and radiographic presentations of 5 patients with lung injury associated with vaping cannabinoid oils seen at a single institution. Results Of the 5 patients with suspected vaping-associated lung injury seen at our institution, 4 required supplemental oxygen, and all these 4 were admitted to the hospital. Three patients required admission to the intensive care unit. None of the patients required mechanical ventilation. All patients demonstrated a consistent radiologic appearance of diffuse bilateral ground-glass lung opacities that spared the extreme periphery. Three patients underwent bronchoalveolar lavage, which revealed...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract The cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) is the most abundant G protein-coupled receptor in the brain and plays crucial roles in emotion and behavior by modulating or mediating synaptic transmission and plasticity. Differences in CB1R density between male and female rodents may be associated with distinct behavioral phenotypes. In the rat brain, CB1R expression is significantly lower in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala of estrus females than in males. However, differences in CB1R distribution due to sex over the whole mouse brain are still largely unknown. Here, we systemically investigated the expression of CB1R mRNA in...