Tag Archives: Parkinson’s disease

The endocannabinoid system in Parkinson’s disease.

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Abstract

“Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder of largely unknown etiology caused by a pathological cascade resulting in the degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) projecting to the nucleus striatum, the main input station of the basal ganglia neuronal circuit. The components of the endocannabinoid (ECB) system are highly expressed at different levels in the basal ganglia neural circuit where they bidirectionally interact with dopaminergic, glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling systems. In particular, at synapses linking cortical and striatal neurons, endocannabinoids (ECBs) are known to critically modulate synaptic transmission and to mediate the induction of a particular form of synaptic plasticity, the long-term depression. The evidence that ECBs play a central role in regulating basal ganglia physiology and motor function and the profound modifications occurring in ECB signaling after dopamine depletion in both experimental models of PD and patients suffering from the disease, provide support for the development of pharmacological compounds targeting the ECB system as symptomatic and neuroprotective therapeutic strategies for PD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18781984

Enhancing activity of marijuana-like chemicals in brain helps treat Parkinson’s symptoms in mice, Stanford study finds

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“Marijuana-like chemicals in the brain may point to a treatment for the debilitating condition of Parkinson’s disease. In a study published in the Feb. 8 issue of Nature, researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine report that endocannabinoids, naturally occurring chemicals found in the brain that are similar to the active compounds in marijuana and hashish, helped trigger a dramatic improvement in mice with a condition similar to Parkinson’s.

“This study points to a potentially new kind of therapy for Parkinson’s disease,” said senior author Robert Malenka, MD, PhD, the Nancy Friend Pritzker Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “Of course, it is a long, long way to go before this will be tested in humans, but nonetheless, we have identified a new way of potentially manipulating the circuits that are malfunctioning in this disease.”

Malenka and postdoctoral scholar Anatol Kreitzer, PhD, the study’s lead author, combined a drug already used to treat Parkinson’s disease with an experimental compound that can boost the level of endocannabinoids in the brain. When they used the combination in mice with a condition like Parkinson’s, the mice went from being frozen in place to moving around freely in 15 minutes. “They were basically normal,” Kreitzer said.”

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2007/02/enhancing-activity-of-marijuana-like-chemicals-in-brain-helps-treat-parkinsons-symptoms-in-mice-stanford-study-finds.html

“Brain chemicals may aid treatment of Parkinson’s”  http://news.stanford.edu/news/2007/february14/med-brain-021407.html

Natural brain substance linked to Parkinson’s symptoms

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“Neuroscientists have found that a substance similar to the active ingredient in marijuana but produced naturally in the brain helps to control mobility — and may offer a novel target for treating Parkinson’s disease.

The findings by Stanford University researchers, reported in the latest issue of the journal Nature, show how marijuana-like “endocannabinoids” — one of the many chemicals used in the brain to transmit signals — form part of the neural machinery that directs normal physical movement.

A shortage of the endocannabinoids, the scientists found, can knock the system out of balance to produce the characteristic tremor, rigidity and other mobility problems of Parkinson’s disease patients…”

Read more; http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Natural-brain-substance-linked-to-Parkinson-s-2650879.php

Parkinsons’ Helped By Marijuana-Lke Chemicals In Brain

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(February 11, 2007) “Marijuana-like chemicals in the brain may point to a treatment for the debilitating condition of Parkinson’s disease. In a study published in Nature, researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine report that endocannabinoids, naturally occurring chemicals found in the brain that are similar to the active compounds in marijuana and hashish, helped trigger a dramatic improvement in mice with a condition similar to Parkinson’s.

“This study points to a potentially new kind of therapy for Parkinson’s disease,” said senior author Robert Malenka, MD, PhD, the Nancy Friend Pritzker Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “Of course, it is a long, long way to go before this will be tested in humans, but nonetheless, we have identified a new way of potentially manipulating the circuits that are malfunctioning in this disease.””

Read More: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/62616.php

Marijuana is helping to treat parkinson’s

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“My sister, who lives in Holland, is a Parkinson’s patient who is treating her condition with marijuana – or derivatives of it. In the last couple of months, Dutch doctors have been allowed to prescribe marijuana-based medication for Parkinson’s, and my sister has taken advantage of this change in the law.

Several products are available, including Marinol, a synthetic form of THC (tetrahydrocannabiol), the active ingredient of marijuana. This US-made product is expensive – 10 capsules cost 86 euros (£60) – and is not yet approved for Parkinson’s. It has so far been tested only on AIDS and MS patients.

Nonetheless, my sister has started to show spectacular results. She now has clarity of mind, she can turn around in bed by herself and doesn’t have to wake her husband to help her get out of bed. Her stiffness has gone and she is no longer an invalid…”

http://www.wddty.com/marijuana-is-helping-to-treat-parkinson-s.html

Study: Cannabis May Relieve Parkinson’s Related Pain

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(December 22, 2012) “People suffering from Parkinson’s disease often experience random pains. Until recently these pains were not conclusively linked to the disease. However, a recent study conducted at Rabin Medical Center has not only shown that the pain is a symptom of the disease, but also suggests a possible treatment – cannabis.

“50 to 80 percent of Parkinson’s patients suffer from pain that could not be treated properly,” says Professor Ruth Djaldetti, senior neurologist and Head of the Movement Disorder Clinic, who conducted the research. “In light of the study’s results, we could treat the pain efficiently and improve the patient’s quality of life.”

The research examined eight genes known to be involved in pain, among 237 patients with Parkinson’s disease. They found that those suffering from this type of pain have gene sequence changes associated with the activity of cannabis-like substances produced in the brain and another gene associated with pain transmission.

According to Djaldetti, the results of the study support the approach that patients suffering from this type of pain might be able to find relief by treatment with cannabis. Despite the promising results, Djaldetti says that further research should be done on the subject, so that in the future, medical treatment can be adjusted according to individual gene-mapping.

The study was published in the European Journal of Pain.”http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1532-2149.2012.00134.x/abstract

http://nocamels.com/2012/12/study-cannabis-may-relieve-parkinsons-related-pain/

Marijuana-Like Compounds May Aid Array Of Debiliatiing Conditions Ranging From Parkinson’s Disease To Pain

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“Oct. 27, 2004 — No longer a pipe dream, new animal research now indicates that marijuana-like compounds can aid a bevy of debilitating conditions, ranging from brain disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease, to pain and obesity.

Research from California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco points to the promise of marijuana-like treatments for those with the fatal brain disorder ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“Our research indicates that select marijuana compounds, including THC, significantly slow the disease process and extend the life of mice with ALS,” says study author Mary Abood, PhD.

The study extends earlier work from Abood’s group that found that THC also can alleviate some ALS symptoms, like muscle spasms, in patients.

ALS wreaks its havoc by harming nerve cells that control muscles. As a consequence of the damage, an estimated 5,000 Americans afflicted annually experience progressive muscle weakness that can hinder movement, speech, even swallowing and breathing. New treatments for ALS are desperately needed…

“For the first time, our research shows the neuroprotective value of marijuana-like compounds in a well-established animal model of Parkinson’s disease,” says study author Andrea Giuffrida, PhD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

Parkinson’s afflicts some 1 million Americans. Symptoms include slowness of movement, muscle stiffness, and shaky tremors, which can harm a person’s ability to walk, talk, write, and eat. This havoc results from the death or injury of brain cells that produce the chemical dopamine.

“There are therapies that can help replenish depleted levels of dopamine and provide symptomatic relief, but none can reverse, prevent, or delay the progression of Parkinson’s disease,” says Giuffrida. “Our research shows that marijuana-like compounds may be able to answer this need.””

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/10/041027102621.htm

 

Therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in the treatment of neuroinflammation associated with Parkinson’s disease.

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Abstract

“The cannabinoid system is represented by two principal receptor subtypes, termed CB1 and CB2, along with several endogenous ligands. In the central nervous system it is involved in several processes. CB1 receptors are mainly expressed by neurons and their activation is primarily implicated in psychotropic and motor effects of cannabinoids. CB2 receptors are expressed by glial cells and are thought to participate in regulation of neuroimmune reactions. This review aims to highlight several reported properties of cannabinoids that could be used to inhibit the adverse neuroinflammatory processes contributing to Parkinson’s disease and possibly other neurodegenerative disorders. These include anti-oxidant properties of phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids as well as hypothermic and antipyretic effects. However, cannabinoids may also trigger signaling cascades leading to impaired mitochondrial enzyme activity, reduced mitochondrial biogenesis, and increased oxidative stress, all of which could contribute to neurotoxicity. Therefore, further pharmacological studies are needed to allow rational design of new cannabinoid-based drugs lacking detrimental in vivo effects.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21699489

Cannabidiol for the treatment of psychosis in Parkinson’s disease.

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Abstract

“The management of psychosis in Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been considered a great challenge for clinicians and there is a need for new pharmacological intervention. Previously an antipsychotic and neuroprotective effect of Cannabidiol (CBD) has been suggested. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to directly evaluate for the first time, the efficacy, tolerability and safety of CBD on PD patients with psychotic symptoms. This was an open-label pilot study. Six consecutive outpatients (four men and two women) with the diagnosis of PD and who had psychosis for at least 3 months were selected for the study. All patients received CBD in flexible dose (started with an oral dose of 150 mg/day) for 4 weeks, in addition to their usual therapy. The psychotic symptoms evaluated by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Parkinson Psychosis Questionnaire showed a significant decrease under CBD treatment. CBD did not worsen the motor function and decreased the total scores of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale. No adverse effect was observed during the treatment. These preliminary data suggest that CBD may be effective, safe and well tolerated for the treatment of the psychosis in PD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18801821

Cannabinoid receptor agonist protects cultured dopaminergic neurons from the death by the proteasomal dysfunction.

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“Cannabinoids (CBs) from the Cannabis sativa L. plant, including tetrahydrocannabinol, the principal psychoactive component of marijuana, produce euphoria and relaxation and also impair motor coordination, perception of time, and short-term memory. The principal actions of CBs are mediated by activation of their cognate receptors on presynaptic nerve ends. Various types of cannabinoid receptors, including the orphan G-protein coupled receptors CB1 and CB2, are found in blood vessels, the central nervous system, and immune cells. While CB1 is expressed abundantly in several areas in the brain as well as in peripheral tissues, CB2 is primarily expressed in the immune system, although it was recently detected at low levels in peripheral nerve endings, microglial cells, and astrocytes, as well as in the cerebellum and brain stem. CB1 receptor activation is involved in the control of neural cell fate and mediates neuroprotectivity in different in vivo models of brain injury, including excitotoxicity and ischemia.

In recent years, the capacity of CBs to effect neuroprotection and neurotoxicity has received increasing attention. Evidence of possible neuroprotective effects has accumulated in vitro from models of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and multiple sclerosis, as well as from in vivo clinical trial data. These compounds are also able to decrease inflammation by acting on glial cells that influence neuronal survival. The molecular mechanisms underlying cannabinoid-mediated neuroprotection are still poorly understood, but may include the direct activation of neuronal survival signaling pathways through cannabinoid receptors or indirect effects mediated by microglial CB2-receptor stimulation.

Here, we investigated the neuroprotective function of a synthetic cannabinoid-receptor agonist (WIN55.212.2)… These results indicate that WIN55.212.2 may be a candidate for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3145842/