cannabinoid receptor Archives

Cannabinoids May Treat Aggressive Behavior, Finds New Study

May 10, 2015May 1, 2015

A new study published by the journal Psychopharmacology, and conducted by researchers at the Universitat de València in Spain, has found that the body’s cannabinoid receptors play a vital role in the management of social interactions and aggressive behavior, and that administration of a cannabinoid receptor agonist significantly reduces aggression in animal models.

The study’s abstract explains that “This study was designed to examine the role of cannabinoid CB2r in social and aggressive behavior.”

Study: Cannabis May Treat and Prevent Itching

March 1, 2015

Activation of the body’s cannbinoid receptors – something done naturally by cannabis and cannabinoids – may be an effective treatment and prevention strategy for itching, according to a study published in this month’s issue of the journal Pharmacology, and published online by the National Institute of Health.

According to the study’s researchers; “We have previously reported that [a novel cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB₂) agonist] significantly suppressed compound 48/80-induced scratching behavior in mice in a dose-dependent manner when it was administered orally.”

Study: Cannabis May Protect Against Colitis

February 24, 2015

A new study published in the journal ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters has found that activation of the cannabinoid receptors – something done naturally by cannabis – can protect against colitis, which is an inflammatory reaction in the colon that is often autoimmune or infectious.

According to the study; “The CB2 cannabinoid receptor has been implicated in the regulation of intestinal inflammation”. With this in mind, researchers “developed constrained analogues” that were specifically designed to target the body’s cannabinoid receptors.

Cannabis May Provide Resillience Against Stress-Related Patholigies, According to New Study

August 22, 2014June 3, 2014

Maintaining “robust” encendocannabinoid signaling – which can be done through through the intake of cannabinoids – may provide protection against stress and stress-related disorders, according to a new study published in the journal Seminars in Immunology, and published online by the National Institute of Health.

According to the study, “CB1 receptor-endocannabinoid signaling is activated by stress and functions to buffer or dampen the behavioral and endocrine effects of acute stress.”

It continues; “Its role in regulation of neuronal responses is more complex. Chronic variable stress exposure reduces endocannabinoid-CB1 receptor signaling and it is hypothesized that the resultant deficiency in endocannabinoid signaling contributes to the negative consequences of chronic stress. On the other hand, repeated exposure to the same stress can sensitize CB1 receptor signaling, resulting in dampening of the stress response.”

Cannabis May Treat Alcohol Withdrawal, Says New Study

February 21, 2014

A new study published by the Journal of Neuroscience has found that heavy alcohol consumption leads to a decrease in the availability of our cannabinoid receptors, making cannabinoid receptor activation a potential treatment for the negative impact of alcohol withdrawal and abstinence.

For the study, “20 healthy social drinkers underwent [18F]MK-9470-positron emission tomography (PET) at baseline and after intravenous ethanol administration (ALC ACU). Moreover, 26 alcoholic patients underwent sequential CB1R PET after chronic heavy drinking (ALC CHR) and after 1 month of abstinence (ALC ABST). Seventeen healthy subjects served as controls.”

New Study: Cannabinoids Can Kill Gastric Cancers Cells

December 29, 2013December 19, 2013

A new study published in the journal Chemotherapy has found that cannabinoid receptor activation – something done naturally by cannabis and cannabinoids – can lead to the death of gastric cancer cells.

For the study, researchers at the Catholic University of Korea’s Department of Internal Medicine studied the effects of a cannabinoid receptor agonist (which cannabis is) on mice injected with gastric cancer cells.

New Study Links Cannabinoid Receptors With Regulation of Brain Energy Storage and Neuronal Functions

December 22, 2013December 14, 2013

A recent study published in the journal Molecular Metabolism and the National Institute of Health has found intriguing new evidence to suggest that cannabinoids are involved in regulating brain energy storage, as well as various neuronal functions.

According to researchers; “Type-1 cannabinoid (CB1) and leptin (ObR) receptors regulate metabolic and astroglial functions, but the potential links between the two systems in astrocytes were not investigated so far”.

New Study: Cannabis May Protect Against, Treat Symptoms of Stroke

December 22, 2013December 12, 2013

A recent study published by the National Institute of Health and the journal Translational Stroke Research has found that activation of the body’s cannabinoid receptors can reduce the harmful effects of strokes, and can even prevent them entirely.

For the study researchers at the Department of Pathology at Temple University School of Medicine used mouse models to examine the effects of activating the body’s cannabinoid receptors on transient middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion injury (MCAO/R). They found that; “In conclusion, administration of the CB2R agonist/CB1R antagonist combination causes a significant reduction in infarct size in the MCAO/R model.”

New Study Finds Cannabinoid Receptor Activation May Treat Obesity

November 23, 2013November 18, 2013

A new study published by the National Institute of Health has found that activation of the body’s cannabinoid receptors – something which cannabis does naturally – has the potential to help manage weight, including the potential to treat obesity.

According to the study, “Apart from its significant weight-loss efficacy in DIO mice, compound 4 [a cannabinoid receptor agonist] displays also clean 163 off-target profiles and is currently under development for treating obesity and the related metabolic syndrome.”

Dysfunctional Endocannabinoid System May Lead to Eating Disorders

October 1, 2013

A recent study published by the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging as well as the National Institute of Health has found evidence to suggest that a dysfunctional endocannabinoid system may lead to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. These results indicate that cannabis may be an effective treatment for these types of disorders, given that it naturally activates and heals our body’s cannabinoid receptors.