Tag Archives: cannabinergic

Antiemetic Effects of Cannabinoid Agonists in Nonhuman Primates

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Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics“Attenuating emesis elicited by both disease and medical treatments of disease remains a critical public health challenge.

Although cannabinergic medications have been used in certain treatment-resistant populations, FDA-approved cannabinoid antiemetics are associated with undesirable side effects, including cognitive disruption, that limit their prescription. Previous studies have shown that a metabolically stable analog of the endocannabinoid anandamide, methanandamide (mAEA), may produce lesser cognitive disruption than that associated with the primary psychoactive constituent in cannabis, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), raising the possibility that endocannabinoids may offer a therapeutic advantage over currently used medications.

The present studies were conducted to evaluate this possibility by comparing the antiemetic effects of Δ9-THC (0.032-0.1 mg/kg) and mAEA (3.2-10.0 mg/kg), against nicotine- and lithium chloride (LiCl)-induced emesis and prodromal hypersalivation in squirrel monkeys.

These studies systematically demonstrate for the first time the antiemetic effects of cannabinoid agonists in nonhuman primates. Importantly, although Δ9-THC produced superior antiemetic effects, the milder cognitive effects of mAEA demonstrated in previous studies suggests that it may provide a favorable treatment option under clinical circumstances in which antiemetic efficacy must be balanced against side-effect liability.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Emesis has significant evolutionary value as a defense mechanism against ingested toxins; however, it is also one of the most common adverse symptoms associated with both disease and medical treatments of disease. The development of improved anti-emetic pharmacotherapies has been impeded by a paucity of animal models.

The present studies systematically demonstrate for the first time the antiemetic effects of the phytocannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and endocannabinoid-analog methanandamide in nonhuman primates.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32561684/

http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2020/06/19/jpet.120.265710

The endocannabinoid system as a target for addiction treatment: Trials and tribulations.

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“Addiction remains a major public health concern, and while pharmacotherapies can be effective, clinicians are limited by the paucity of existing interventions. Endocannabinoid signaling is involved in reward and addiction, which raises the possibility that drugs targeting this system could be used to treat substance use disorders. This review discusses findings from randomized controlled trials evaluating cannabinergic medications for addiction.

Current evidence suggests that pharmacotherapies containing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, such as dronabinol and nabiximols, are effective for cannabis withdrawal. Dronabinol may also reduce symptoms of opioid withdrawal. The cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) inverse agonist rimonabant showed promising effects for smoking cessation but also caused psychiatric side effects and currently lacks regulatory approval. Few trials have investigated cannabinergic medications for alcohol use disorder.

Overall, the endocannabinoid system remains a promising target for addiction treatment. Development of novel medications such as fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitors and neutral CB1 antagonists promises to extend the range of available interventions.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28564576

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390817302563

Diuretic effects of cannabinoids.

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“These data indicate that cannabinoids have robust diuretic effects in rats that are mediated via CB1 receptor mechanisms.

Overall, our data indicate that diuresis is a CB1-mediated effect that may serve as a reliable and objective physiologic measure of cannabinoid action in rats; the circumstances under which these results represent a potential therapeutic benefit or potential liability of cannabinoids remain to be determined.

The implications of these findings currently are poorly understood, although a better understanding of mechanisms and sites of action by which cannabinoids increase urine loss may lead to the rational development of novel cannabinergic medications.”  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3533417/

“Diuretics are medicines that help reduce the amount of water in the body. Diuretics are used to treat the buildup of excess fluid in the body that occurs with some medical conditions such ascongestive heart failure, liver disease, and kidney disease. Some diuretics are also prescribed to treat high bloodpressure. These drugs act on the kidneys to increase urine output. This reduces the amount of fluid in the bloodstream,which in turn lowers blood pressure.” http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/diuretics

Functional selectivity at G-protein coupled receptors: Advancing cannabinoid receptors as drug targets.

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“The phenomenon of functional selectivity, whereby a ligand preferentially directs the information output of a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) along (a) particular effector pathway(s) and away from others, has redefined traditional GPCR signaling paradigms to provide a new approach to structure-based drug design.

The two principal cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) 1 and 2 belong to the class-A GPCR subfamily and are considered tenable therapeutic targets for several indications. Yet conventional orthosteric ligands (agonists, antagonists/inverse agonists) for these receptors have had very limited clinical utility due to their propensity to incite on-target adverse events. Chemically distinct classes of cannabinergic ligands exhibit signaling bias at CBRs toward individual subsets of signal transduction pathways.

In this review, we discuss the known signaling pathways regulated by CBRs and examine the current evidence for functional selectivity at CBRs in response to endogenous and exogenous cannabinergic ligands as biased agonists. We further discuss the receptor and ligand structural features allowing for selective activation of CBR-dependent functional responses. The design and development of biased ligands may offer a pathway to therapeutic success for novel CBR-targeted drugs.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27890725

Targeting cannabinoid receptor-2 pathway by phenylacetylamide suppresses the proliferation of human myeloma cells through mitotic dysregulation and cytoskeleton disruption.

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“Cannabinoid receptor-2 (CB2) is expressed dominantly in the immune system, especially on plasma cells.

Cannabinergic ligands with CB2 selectivity emerge as a class of promising agents to treat CB2-expressing malignancies without psychotropic concerns.

In this study, we found that CB2 but not CB1 was highly expressed in human multiple myeloma (MM) and primary CD138+ cells.

Thus, targeting CB2 may represent an attractive approach to treat cancers of immune origin.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25640641

The Medicinal Chemistry of Cannabinoids.

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“The endocannabinoid system (ECS) comprises the two well characterized Gi/o -protein coupled receptors (CB1, CB2), their endogenous lipid ligands and the enzymes involved in their biosynthesis and biotransformation.

Drug discovery efforts relating to the ECS have been focused mainly on the two cannabinoid receptors and the two endocannabinoid deactivating enzymes fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL).

This review provides an overview of cannabinergic agents used in drug research and those being explored clinically.”

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25801236