A nonpsychotropic cannabinoid, HU-211, has cerebroprotective effects after closed head injury in the rat

Structural features affecting chiral discrimination of terpene derivatives on a carbamated amylose stationary phase

The chiral discrimination of enantiomeric derivatives of alpha-pinene was studied using amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) as a chromatographic stationary phase. The effect of structural features of these enantiomeric pairs on their chromatographic resolution was systematically studied to understand further the correlation between these features and chiral discrimination by the carbamated amylose. Structural analysis by molecular mechanics indicated that the conformation of the alpha-pinene skeleton was preserved with substitution in all its derivatives. However, in spite of the rigidity of the molecular backbone of these molecules, their resolution capabilities were different. Apparently, the site of the hydrogen-bonding substituents affected chiral discrimination by the stationary phase rather than conformational changes. Separation was achieved in spite of the fact that none of the members in the series had an aromatic moiety, and therefore pi-pi interactions with the stationary phase were insignificant. Hence it was concluded that the most important interaction of the terpene derivatives with the carbamated amylose was hydrogen bonding.

Anti-ischemia activity of HU-211, a non-psychotropic synthetic cannabinoid

The novel tricyclic-terpenoid type cannabinoid, HU-211, was tested in gerbils and rats for protection against the effects of cerebral ischemia. Our transient ischemic models in gerbils and rats are based on the protection afforded against the lethal effects of global ischemia. HU-211 gave over 30% protection, by i.v. administration. The optimal dose ranges of HU-211 were between 5 and 10 mg/kg i.v. In gerbils we used a transient ischemia model induced by occlusion (10 min) of the bilateral common carotid arteries (BCCA). HU-211, 8 mg/kg i.v., gave a significantly (p < or = 0.05) better in vivo performed than a control group over three days following ischemia. Histology performed in gerbil model also resulted in significantly (p < 0.001) diminished degeneration area of CA1 in the hippocampus after treatment of HU-211. In the rat model, after four vessel occlusion (4VO) (20 min), HU-211 treatment significantly (p < 0.01) improved neurobehavior scoring. These results show that the new synthetic cannabinoid can protect against hippocampal neuron damage due to selective brain injury induced by cerebral global ischemia in gerbils or rats.