Abstract Cannabis extracts and synthetic cannabinoids are still widely considered illegal substances. Preclinical and clinical studies have suggested that they may result useful to treat diverse diseases, including those related…
Keyword: Cannabinoid receptor/s
Presence of functional cannabinoid receptors in human endocrine pancreas
Aims/hypothesis: We examined the presence of functional cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1, CB2) in isolated human islets, phenotyped the cells producing cannabinoid receptors and analysed the actions of selective…
Lasting impacts of prenatal cannabis exposure and the role of endogenous cannabinoids in the developing brain
Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance among pregnant women. Human epidemiological and animal studies have found that prenatal cannabis exposure influences brain development and can have long-lasting impacts…
Intrahippocampal administration of anandamide increases REM sleep
A nascent literature has postulated endocannabinoids (eCBs) as strong sleep-inducing lipids, particularly rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMs), nevertheless the exact mechanisms behind this effect remain to be determined. Anandamide and 2-arachidonyl glycerol,…
An entourage effect: inactive endogenous fatty acid glycerol esters enhance 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol cannabinoid activity
2-Arachidonoyl-glycerol 2-Ara-Gl has been isolated from various tissues and identified as an endogenous ligand for both cannabinoid receptors, CB and CB . Here we report that in spleen, as in…
Hind limb suspension and long-chain omega-3 PUFA increase mRNA endocannabinoid system levels in skeletal muscle
Abstract Muscle disuse has numerous physiological consequences that end up with significant catabolic metabolism and ultimately tissue atrophy. What is not known is how muscle atrophy affects the endocannabinoid (EC)…
Elevated Brain Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor Availability in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Positron Emission Tomography Study
Abstract Endocannabinoids and their attending cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor have been implicated in animal models of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, their specific role has not been studied in…
Effects of deleting cannabinoid receptor-2 on mechanical and material properties of cortical and trabecular bone
Cnr2 is one of two cannabinoid receptors known to regulate bone metabolism. Here, we compared the whole bone properties of femora and tibiae from three-month-old Cnr2−/− mice with wild-type controls…
Early increase of cannabinoid receptor density after experimental traumatic brain injury in the newborn piglet
Paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability. Previous studies showed neuroprotection after TBI by (endo)cannabinoid mechanisms, suggesting involvement of cannabinoid receptors (CBR). We therefore…
Direct suppression of autoreactive lymphocytes in the central nervous system via the CB2 receptor
The cannabinoid system is now recognized as a regulator of both the nervous and immune systems. Although marijuana has been used for centuries for the treatment of a variety of…