Cannabis, or marijuana, has been used for medicinal purposes for many years. Several types of cannabinoid medicines are available in the United States and Canada. Dronabinol (schedule III), nabilone (schedule II), and nabiximols (not U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved) are cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals. Medical cannabis or medical marijuana, a leafy plant cultivated for the production of its leaves and flowering tops, is a schedule I drug, but patients obtain it through cannabis dispensaries and statewide programs. The effect that cannabinoid compounds have on the cannabinoid receptors (CB(1) and CB(2) ) found in the brain can create varying pharmacologic responses based on formulation and patient...

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of dronabinol (delta-9-THC) as supplementary therapy in a child with autistic disorder. Methods: A child who met the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) criteria for a diagnosis of autistic disorder and who took no other medication during the observation time was included in an open and uncontrolled study. Symptom assessment was performed using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) before and after six months of medical treatment. Result: Compared to baseline, significant improvements were observed for hyperactivity, lethargy, irritability, stereotypy and inappropriate speech at follow-up (p=0.043). Conclusion: This study showed that the use of dronabinol may be...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third cause of cancer-related death worldwide. When these tumors are in advanced stages, few therapeutic options are available. Therefore, it is essential to search for new treatments to fight this disease. In this study, we investigated the effects of cannabinoids – a novel family of potential anticancer agents – on the growth of HCC. We found that D9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (D9 -THC, the main active component of Cannabis sativa) and JWH-015 (a cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) cannabinoid receptor-selective agonist) reduced the viability of the human HCC cell lines HepG2 (human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line) and HuH-7 (hepatocellular carcinoma cells),...

Abstract Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major, nonpsychoactive Cannabis constituent with anti-inflammatory activity mediated by enhancing adenosine signaling. Inasmuch as adenosine receptors are promising pharmaceutical targets for ischemic heart diseases, we tested the effect of CBD on ischemic rat hearts. For the in vivo studies, the left anterior descending coronary artery was transiently ligated for 30 min, and the rats were treated for 7 days with CBD (5 mg/kg ip) or vehicle. Cardiac function was studied by echocardiography. Infarcts were examined morphometrically and histologically. For ex vivo evaluation, CBD was administered 24 and 1 h before the animals were killed, and hearts were harvested for...

Objective: Interleukin-1b (IL-1b) is involved in the up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) leading to cartilage degradation. Cannabinoids are anti-inflammatory and reduce joint damage in animal models of arthritis. This study aimed to determine a mechanism whereby the synthetic cannabinoid WIN-55,212-2 mesylate (WIN-55) may inhibit cartilage degradation. Methods: Effects of WIN-55 were studied on IL-1b stimulated production of MMP-3 and -13 and their inhibitors TIMP-1 and -2 in human chondrocytes. Chondrocytes were obtained from articular cartilage of patients undergoing total knee replacement. Chondrocytes were grown in monolayer and 3D alginate bead cultures. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to determine the gene expression of...

Abstract Treatment options for neuropathic pain have limited efficacy and use is fraught with dose-limiting adverse effects. The endocannabinoid system has been elucidated over the last several years, demonstrating a significant interface with pain homeostasis. Exogenous cannabinoids have been demonstrated to be effective in a range of experimental neuropathic pain models, and there is mounting evidence for therapeutic use in human neuropathic pain conditions. This article reviews the history, pharmacologic development, clinical trials results, and the future potential of nonsmoked, orally bioavailable, nonpsychoactive cannabinoids in the management of neuropathic pain.

Breast cancer is a very common disease that affects approximately 1 in 10 women at some point in their lives. Importantly, breast cancer cannot be considered a single disease as it is characterized by distinct pathological and molecular subtypes that are treated with different therapies and have diverse clinical outcomes. Although some highly successful treatments have been developed, certain breast tumors are resistant to conventional therapies and a considerable number of them relapse. Therefore, new strategies are urgently needed, and the challenge for the future will most likely be the development of individualized therapies that specifically target each patient’s tumor. Experimental evidence accumulated during...

Medicine continues to struggle in its approaches to numerous common subjective pain syndromes that lack objective signs and remain treatment resistant. Foremost among these are migraine, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome, disorders that may overlap in their affected populations and whose sufferers have all endured the stigma of a psychosomatic label, as well as the failure of endless pharmacotherapeutic interventions with substandard benefit. The commonality in symptomatology in these conditions displaying hyperalgesia and central sensitization with possible common underlying pathophysiology suggests that a clinical endocannabinoid deficiency might characterize their origin. Its base hypothesis is that all humans have an underlying endocannabinoid tone that is...

Focal cerebral ischemia and traumatic brain injury induce an escalating amount of cell death because of harmful mediators diffusing from the original lesion site. Evidence suggests that healthy cells surrounding these lesions attempt to protect themselves by producing endocannabinoids (eCBs) and activating cannabinoid receptors, the molecular target for marijuana-derived compounds. Indeed, activation of cannabinoid receptors reduces the production and diffusion of harmful mediators. Here, we provide evidence that an exception to this pattern is found in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. We show that cell damage induced by EAE does not lead to increase in eCBs, even though cannabinoid...

Obstructive sleep apnea represents a significant public health concern. Afferent vagal activation is implicated in increased apnea susceptibility by reducing upper airway muscle tone via activation of serotonin receptors in the nodose ganglia. Previous investigations demonstrated that systemically administered cannabinoids can be used therapeutically to decrease the apnea/ hypopnea index in rats and in humans. However, cannabinoids have effects on both the central and peripheral nervous systems, and the exact mechanism of decreased apnea/hypopnea index with cannabinoids is unknown. Here, we hypothesized that intranodose ganglion injections of a cannabinoid will attenuate 5-HT-induced reflex apnea and increase upper airway muscle tone. We show that dronabinol...