Used to classify article posts by terms used for medical conditions. It’s mostly aimed at practitioners and physicians.

Anxiety severity and prescription medication utilization in first-time medical marijuana users

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Anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are qualifying psychiatric conditions for medical marijuana (MM) treatment in Pennsylvania. This study examined baseline prevalence and changes in prescription anxiety medication use three months following MM treatment initiation among individuals with these qualifying conditions. The study sample was comprised of 108 adults with anxiety or PTSD as a referring condition; they were enrolled in a longitudinal study evaluating biopsychosocial outcomes in new MM patients. Consenting participants completed an assessment battery at baseline and Month 3 (n = 94, 87 % follow-up rate) that included a measure of anxiety severity and questions about current anxiety medication prescription and desired (baseline) and actual (Month 3) reductions in medication use.

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Anti-proliferative effect of Cannabidiol in Prostate cancer cell PC3 is mediated by apoptotic cell death, NFκB activation, increased oxidative stress, and lower reduced glutathione status

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Prostate cancer is the second most frequent cancer diagnosed in men in the world today. Almost all prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas and develop from gland cells. We used the PC3 prostate cancer cell line, which is well studied and derived from a bone metastasis of a grade IV prostatic adenocarcinoma. Cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-psychoactive constituent of cannabis, is a cannabinoid with anti-tumor properties but its effects on prostate cancer cells are not studied in detail. Here, we found cannabidiol decreased prostate cancer cell (PC3) viability up to 37.25% and induced apoptotic cell death in a time and dose-dependent manner. We found that CBD activated the caspases 3/7 pathways and increased DNA fragmentation. Furthermore, we observed an increase of pro-apoptotic genes Bax, an increased level of reactive oxygen species, lower reduced glutathione level, and altered mitochondrial potential in response to CBD treatment leading to lower cellular ATP. Overall, our results suggest that CBD may be effective against prostate cancer cells.

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Cannabidiol attenuates inflammatory impairment of intestinal cells expanding biomaterial-based therapeutic approaches

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Cannabis-based biomaterials have the potential to deliver anti-inflammatory therapeutics specifically to desired cells, tissues, and organs, enhancing drug delivery and the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory treatment while minimizing toxicity. As a major component of Cannabis, Cannabidiol (CBD) has gained major attention in recent years because of its potential therapeutic properties, e.g., for restoring a disturbed barrier resulting from inflammatory conditions. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that CBD has beneficial effects under normal and inflammatory conditions in the established non-transformed intestinal epithelial cell model IPEC-J2.

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Cannabinoid modulations of pain and stress related circuits

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In the past decade, significant advancements have been made in understanding the brain regions and neuronal circuits regulating neurological behaviors. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system, which is ubiquitously distributed in the brain and extensively involved in synaptic modulation, has been believed to play potential roles in neuronal circuit processes and related disorders. Although eCB-based pharmacological studies have made some clinical achievements, they still often encounter conflicting reports or undesired effects due to global manipulation of manifold brain regions and neuronal circuits, which impede the therapeutic application of eCB-based medications. In this review, we are devoted to discussing the versatile forms of eCB-mediated synaptic plasticity and dissecting currently well-studied specific cannabinoid circuits involved in behavioral domains which are closely linked to the organism’s survival and life quality, such as pain perception and stress-related emotion disorders. By gaining new insights into selective cannabinoid control in circuits, we can potentially mitigate the drawbacks of traditional pharmacology and facilitate the development of precision medicine with novel therapeutic strategies and drug discoveries.

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Association between marijuana use and kidney stone: a cross-sectional study of NHANES 2009 to 2018

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The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether regular marijuana use is related to history of kidney stones in the US population. Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2009 to 2018. Kidney stone and marijuana use data were collected from self-report questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression and multiple sensitivity analyses were applied to examine the relationship between marijuana usage and kidney stones.

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Cannabis constituents for chronic neuropathic pain; reconciling the clinical and animal evidence

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Chronic neuropathic pain is a debilitating pain syndrome caused by damage to the nervous system that is poorly served by current medications. Given these problems, clinical studies have pursued extracts of the plant Cannabis sativa as alternative treatments for this condition. The vast majority of these studies have examined can- nabinoids which contain the psychoactive constituent delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). While there have been some positive findings, meta-analyses of this clinical work indicates that this effectiveness is limited and hampered by side-effects. This review focuses on how recent preclinical studies have predicted the clinical limita- tions of THC-containing cannabis extracts, and importantly, point to how they might be improved. This work highlights the importance of targeting channels and recep- tors other than cannabinoid CB1 receptors which mediate many of the side-effects of cannabis.

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Pharmacological blockade of 2-AG degradation ameliorates clinical, neuroinflammatory and synaptic alterations in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

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The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is critically involved in the pathophysiology of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Over the past decade, the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of the ECS have been studied, and inhibiting the degradation of the endocannabinoid 2-arachydonoylglycerol (2-AG) is emerging as a promising strategy to counteract brain damage in MS. In this study, a systemic and preventive in vivo treatment with MAGLi 432, the reversible inhibitor of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGLi), was performed in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice. Clinical, biochemical, electrophysiological and immunofluorescence analyses were carried out to evaluate the impact of the drug on motor disability, neuroinflammation and synaptic damage. MAGLi 432 induced a less severe EAE disease, accompanied by an increase of 2-AG and a reduction of acid arachidonic (AA) and prostaglandins (PGs) brain levels.

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Medical Cannabis Alleviates Chronic Neuropathic Pain Effectively and Sustainably without Severe Adverse Effect: A Retrospective Study on 99 Cases

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Medical cannabis may provide a treatment option for chronic neuropathic pain. However, empirical disease-specific data are scarce. This is a retrospective observational study including 99 patients with chronic neuropathic pain. These patients received medical cannabis by means of inhaling dried flowers with tetrahydrocannabinol content of <12–22% at a maximal daily dose of 0.15–1 g. Up to six follow-ups were carried out at intervals of 4–6 weeks. Pain severity, sleep disturbance, general improvement, side effects, and therapy tolerance at the follow-up consultations were assessed in interviews and compared with the baseline data using non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

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Real-World evidence on the use of cannabidiol for the treatment of drug resistant epilepsy not related to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome or Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

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Highly purified cannabidiol (CBD) has a broad spectrum of action and could be useful for the treatment of drug resistant epilepsy regardless of etiology or syndrome. Multicenter retrospective study that evaluated the efficacy and safety of CBD for the treatment of drug resistant epilepsy of different etiologies in patients >2 years of age.

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Increased Hippocampal Blood Flow in People at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis and Effects of Cannabidiol

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Hippocampal hyperperfusion has been observed in people at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR), is associated with adverse longitudinal outcomes and represents a potential treatment target for novel pharmacotherapies. Whether cannabidiol (CBD) has ameliorative effects on hippocampal blood flow (rCBF) in CHR patients remains unknown. Using a double-blind, parallel-group design, 33 CHR patients were randomised to a single oral 600mg dose of CBD or placebo; 19 healthy controls did not receive any drug. Hippocampal rCBF was measured using Arterial Spin Labelling. We examined differences relating to CHR status (controls vs placebo), effects of CBD in CHR (placebo vs CBD) and linear between-group relationships, such that placebo>CBD>controls or controls>CBD>placebo, using a combination of hypothesis-driven and exploratory wholebrain analyses.

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Cannabidiol alters mitochondrial bioenergetics via VDAC1 and triggers cell death in hormone-refractory prostate cancer

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In spite of the huge advancements in both diagnosis and interventions, hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) remains a major hurdle in prostate cancer (PCa). Metabolic reprogramming plays a key role in PCa oncogenesis and resistance. However, the dynamics between metabolism and oncogenesis are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that two multi-target natural products, cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG), suppress HRPC development in the TRansgenic Adenocarcinoma of the Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) model by reprogramming metabolic and oncogenic signaling. Mechanistically, CBD increases glycolytic capacity and inhibits oxidative phosphorylation in enzalutamide-resistant HRPC cells. This action of CBD originates from its effect on metabolic plasticity via modulation of VDAC1 and hexokinase II (HKII) coupling on the outer mitochondrial membrane, which leads to strong shifts of mitochondrial functions and oncogenic signaling pathways. The effect of CBG on enzalutamide-resistant HRPC cells was less pronounced than CBD and only partially attributable to its action on mitochondria. However, when optimally combined, these two cannabinoids exhibited strong anti-tumor effects in TRAMP mice, even when these had become refractory to enzalutamide, thus pointing to their therapeutical potential against PCa.

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Cannabidiol Inhibits the Proliferation and Invasiveness of Prostate Cancer Cells

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Prostate cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in men, responsible for over 375,000 deaths in 2020. Novel therapeutic strategies are needed to improve outcomes. Cannabinoids, chemical components of the cannabis plant, are a possible solution. Preclinical evidence demonstrates that cannabinoids can modulate several cancer hallmarks of many tumor types. However, the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in prostate cancer has not yet been fully explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the antiproliferative and anti-invasive properties of cannabidiol (CBD) in prostate cancer cells in vitro. CBD inhibited cell viability and proliferation, accompanied by reduced expression of key cell cycle proteins, specifically cyclin D3 and cyclin-dependent kinases CDK2, CDK4, and CDK1, and inhibition of AKT phosphorylation. The effects of CBD on cell viability were not blocked by cannabinoid receptor antagonists, a transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel blocker, or an agonist of the G-protein-coupled receptor GPR55, suggesting that CBD acts independently of these targets in prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, CBD reduced the invasiveness of highly metastatic PC-3 cells and increased protein expression of E-cadherin. The ability of CBD to inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation and invasiveness suggests that CBD may have potential as a future chemotherapeutic agent.

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