Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Endocannabinoids play important roles in regulating CNS synaptic function and peripheral metabolism, but cannabinoids can also act acutely to modulate contraction strength in skeletal muscle. Nerve terminals and the skeletal muscle sarcolemma express components of the cannabinoid signaling system. Endocannabinoids, N-arachidonylethanolamine (anandamide, AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol (2-AG), are produced by skeletal muscle. They may be involved in the acute regulation of neuromuscular transmission, by adjusting the parameters for quantal acetylcholine release from the motor nerve terminal. Downstream of neuromuscular transmission, cannabinoids may also act to limit the efficiency of excitation-contraction coupling. Improved understanding of the distinct signaling actions of particular cannabinoid compounds...

Abstract Cannabis has been used to relieve the symptoms of disease for thousands of years. However, social and political biases have limited effective interrogation of the potential benefits of cannabis and polarised public opinion. Further, the medicinal and clinical utility of cannabis is limited by the psychotropic side effects of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC). Evidence is emerging for the therapeutic benefits of cannabis in the treatment of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, with potential efficacy as an analgesic and antiemetic for the management of cancer-related pain and treatment-related nausea and vomiting, respectively. An increasing number of preclinical studies have established that ∆9-THC can inhibit the growth and...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Purpose of review The prevalence of cancer pain will continue to rise as pain is common among the survivorship and general cancer population. As interest in cannabis and cannabinoids for medicinal use including pain management continues to rise, there is growing need to update and review the current state of evidence for their use. The literature was searched for articles in English with key words cannabis, cannabinoids, and cancer pain. The sources of articles were PubMed, Embase, and open Google search. Recent findings In a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial including a 3-week treatment period of...

Abstract Background Dental plaque is a global health problem affecting people of various age groups. Cannabinoids are gaining enormous research attention due to its beneficial properties for various applications. A preliminary observation on antimicrobial property of cannabinoids against dental plaque bacteria has been reported recently. As a follow-up research, here we report the in vitro evaluation of cannabinoids infused mouthwash products against total culturable (aerobic) bacterial content from dental plaque samples. Methods We tested two cannabinoid-infused mouthwash products containing cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) respectively (each mouthwash containing < 1% cannabinoid by weight) in vitro against total-culturable bacteria from dental plaque samples collected from 72...

Please use this link to access this publication. ABSTRACT Cannabis is used for both recreational and medicinal purposes. The most abundant constituents are the cannabinoids - cannabidiol (CBD, nonpsychoactive) and (−)-trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, psychoactive). Both have been reported to reversibly inhibit or inactivate cytochrome P450 (CYPs) enzymes. However, the low aqueous solubility, microsomal protein binding, and nonspecific binding to labware were not considered, potentially leading to an underestimation of CYPs inhibition potency. Therefore, the binding-corrected reversible (IC50,u) and irreversible (KI,u) inhibition potency of each cannabinoid toward major CYPs were determined. The fraction unbound of CBD and THC in the incubation mixture was 0.12 ± 0.04 and 0.05 ± 0.02, respectively. The IC50,u for...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Marijuana is increasingly utilized for the treatment of multiple medical problems, including back pain, in the United States. Although there is strong preclinical evidence supporting the promise of cannabinoids in the treatment of back pain, there is a paucity of clinical data supporting their use in clinical practice. Opioids are an important medication for the treatment of acute and chronic back pain, but utilization of opioid-based regimens have likely contributed to the growing opioid epidemic. The significant risk of morbidity, mortality, and dependence secondary to opioid medications have increased the interest in nonopioid medications, including...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract A number of physiological responses in the central nervous system (CNS) are regulated by the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Inhibition of neuronal excitability via activation of cannabinoid receptors (CBr) constitutes a potential protective response against neurotoxic insults. Oleamide (ODA) is a fatty acid amide with endocannabinoid profile exerting several effects in the CNS, though its neuroprotective properties remain unknown. The tryptophan metabolite quinolinic acid (QUIN) elicits toxic effects via overactivation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDAr) after its accumulation in the CNS under pathological conditions. Here, we investigated the protective properties of ODA against the excitotoxic damage induced by...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Purpose: Drug use during pregnancy is a critical global challenge, capable of severe impacts on neonatal development. However, the consumption of cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids is on the rise in pregnant women. Obstetric complications with increased risks of miscarriage, fetal growth restriction, and brain development impairment have been associated with perinatal cannabis exposure, but data on synthetic cannabinoid use during pregnancy are limited. Methods: We reviewed studies that investigated the risks associated with cannabis and synthetic cannabinoid use and those that reported the concentrations of cannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids in maternal (breast milk) and neonatal...

Abstract In the process of neonatal encephalopathy, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation have a prominent role after perinatal asphyxia. With the exception of therapeutic hypothermia, no therapeutic interventions are available in the clinical setting to target either the oxidative stress or inflammation, despite the high prevalence of neurological sequelae of this devastating condition. The endocannabinoid system (ECS), recently recognized as a widespread neuromodulatory system, plays an important role in the development of the central nervous system (CNS). This study aims to evaluate the potential effect of the cannabinoid (CB) agonist WIN 55,212-2 (WIN) on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and early inflammatory cytokine production after hypoxia–ischemia...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Purpose: Drug use during pregnancy is a critical global challenge, capable of severe impacts on neonatal development. However, the consumption of cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids is on the rise in pregnant women. Obstetric complications with increased risks of miscarriage, fetal growth restriction, and brain development impairment have been associated with perinatal cannabis exposure, but data on synthetic cannabinoid use during pregnancy are limited. Methods: We reviewed studies that investigated the risks associated with cannabis and synthetic cannabinoid use and those that reported the concentrations of cannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids in maternal (breast milk) and neonatal...