Could Cannabidiol be a Treatment Option for Intractable Childhood and Adolescent Epilepsy ? Chung Mo Koo, Hoon-Chul Kang Journal of Epilepsy Research, 2017, 7, 16-20. pISSN 2233-6249 / eISSN 2233-6257 www.kes.or.kr Epilepsy is an important disease that affects brain function, particularly in those under 3 years old. Uncontrolled seizures can affect cognitive function and quality of life. For these reasons, many trials have been conducted to investigate treatments for pediatric epilepsy. Currently, many antiepileptic drugs are available for the treatment of epilepsy, but cases of intractable epilepsy continue to exist. In the past, cannabis has been tested as a potential treatment of intractable epilepsy. Since [...]
Lire la suiteAdolescent‐onset heavy cannabis use associated with significantly reduced glial but not neuronal markers and glutamate levels in the hippocampus Grace Blest‐Hopley | Aisling O'Neill | Robin Wilson | Vincent Giampietro | David Lythgoe | Alice Egerton | Sagnik Bhattacharyya Addiction Biology, 2019, e12827, 1-11. DOI: 10.1111/adb.12827 Abstract Cannabis use has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes, the neurochemical underpinnings of which are poorly understood. Although preclinical evidence suggests glutamatergic dysfunction following cannabis exposure in several brain regions including the hippocampus, evidence from human studies have been inconsistent. We investigated the effect of persistent cannabis use on the brain levels of N‐acetyl aspartate (NAA) and myo-inositol, [...]
Lire la suiteEndocannabinoid signaling in psychiatric disorders: a review of positron emission tomography studies Matthew E. Sloan, Caroline W. Grant, Joshua L. Gowin, Vijay A. Ramchandani and Bernard Le Foll Acta Pharmacologica Sinica, 2018, 0, 1–9; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41401-018-0081-z Endocannabinoid signaling is implicated in an array of psychopathologies ranging from anxiety to psychosis and addiction. In recent years, radiotracers targeting the endocannabinoid system have been used in positron emission tomography (PET) studies to determine whether individuals with psychiatric disorders display altered endocannabinoid signaling. We comprehensively reviewed PET studies examining differences in endocannabinoid signaling between individuals with psychiatric illness and healthy controls. Published studies evaluated individuals with five psychiatric [...]
Lire la suiteAnandamide administration alone and after inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) increases dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens shell in rats Marcello Solinas, Zuzana Justinova, Steven R. Goldberg and Gianluigi Tanda Journal of Neurochemistry, 2006, 98, 408–419. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.03880.x Abstract Although endogenous cannabinoid systems have been implicated in the modulation of the rewarding effects of abused drugs and food, little is known about the direct effects of endogenous ligands for cannabinoid receptors on brain reward processes. Here we show for the first time that the intravenous administration of anandamide, an endogenous ligand for cannabinoid receptors, and its longer-lasting synthetic analog methanandamide, increase the extracellular dopamine [...]
Lire la suiteCannabinoid CB1 and CB2 Receptor Signaling and Bias Mikkel Soes Ibsen, Mark Connor, Michelle Glass Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2017, Volume 2.1, 48-60 https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2016.0037 Abstract An agonist that acts through a single receptor can activate numerous signaling pathways. Recent studies have suggested that different ligands can differentially activate these pathways by stabilizing a limited range of receptor conformations, which in turn preferentially drive different downstream signaling cascades. This concept, termed “biased signaling” represents an exciting therapeutic opportunity to target specific pathways that elicit only desired effects, while avoiding undesired effects mediated by different signaling cascades. The cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 each activate multiple pathways, [...]
Lire la suiteAn Update on Non-CB1, Non-CB2 Cannabinoid Related G-Protein-Coupled Receptors Paula Morales and Patricia H. Reggio Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2017, Volume 2.1, 265-273 DOI: 10.1089/can.2017.0036 Abstract The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has been shown to be of great importance in the regulation of numerous physiological and pathological processes. To date, two Class A G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been discovered and validated as the main therapeutic targets of this system: the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1), which is the most abundant neuromodulatory receptor in the brain, and the cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2), predominantly found in the immune system among other organs and tissues. Endogenous cannabinoid receptor [...]
Lire la suiteEndocannabinoid Signaling and Synaptic Function Pablo E. Castillo, Thomas J. Younts, Andres E. Chavez, and Yuki Hashimotodani Neuron, Cell Press, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2012.09.020 Endocannabinoids are key modulators of synaptic function. By activating cannabinoid receptors expressed in the central nervous system, these lipid messengers can regulate several neural functions and behaviors. As experimental tools advance, the repertoire of known endocannabinoid-mediated effects at the synapse, and their underlying mechanism, continues to expand. Retrograde signaling is the principal mode by which endocannabinoids mediate short- and long-term forms of plasticity at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses. However, growing evidence suggests that endocannabinoids can also signal in a nonretrograde manner. [...]
Lire la suiteN-Arachidonoyl Dopamine : A Novel Endocannabinoid and Endovanilloid with Widespread Physiological and Pharmacological Activities Urszula Grabiec and Faramarz Dehghani Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2017, 2, (1), 183-196 DOI: 10.1089/can.2017.0015 Abstract N-arachidonoyl dopamine (NADA) is a member of the family of endocannabinoids to which several other N-acyldopamines belong as well. Their activity is mediated through various targets that include cannabinoid receptors or transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV)1. Synthesis and degradation of NADA are not yet fully understood. Nonetheless, there is evidence that NADA plays an important role in nociception and inflammation in the central and peripheral nervous system. The TRPV1 receptor, for which NADA is a [...]
Lire la suiteA Conversion of Oral Cannabidiol to Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Seems Not to Occur in Humans Gerhard Nahler, Franjo Grotenhermen, Antonio Waldo Zuardi, and Jose´ A.S. Crippa3 Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2017, 2, 1, 81-86 DOI: 10.1089/can.2017.0009 Abstract Cannabidiol (CBD), a major cannabinoid of hemp, does not bind to CB1 receptors and is therefore devoid of psychotomimetic properties. Under acidic conditions, CBD can be transformed to delta9 tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids. It has been argued that this may occur also after oral administration in humans. However, the experimental conversion of CBD to THC and delta8-THC in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) is a highly artificial approach that deviates [...]
Lire la suiteThe diverse CB1 and CB2 receptor pharmacology of three plant cannabinoids : D9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and D9-tetrahydrocannabivarin Roger G. Pertwee British Journal of Pharmacology, 2008, 153, 199–215 doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707442 Cannabis sativa is the source of a unique set of compounds known collectively as plant cannabinoids or phytocannabinoids. This review focuses on the manner with which three of these compounds, (-)-trans-D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (D9-THC), (-)- cannabidiol (CBD) and (-)-trans-D9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (D9-THCV), interact with cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors. D9-THC, the main psychotropic constituent of cannabis, is a CB1 and CB2 receptor partial agonist and in line with classical pharmacology, the responses it elicits appear to be strongly influenced both by [...]
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