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Carrascosa AJ, Navarrete F, Saldaña R, García-Gutiérrez MS, Montalbán B, Navarro D, Gómez-Guijarro FM, Gasparyan A, Murcia-Sánchez E, Torregrosa AB, Pérez-Doblado P, Gutiérrez L, Manzanares J. Cannabinoid Analgesia in Postoperative Pain Management: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Reality. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6268. [PMID: 38892456 PMCID: PMC11172912 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Postoperative pain (POP) is a challenging clinical phenomenon that affects the majority of surgical patients and demands effective management to mitigate adverse outcomes such as persistent pain. The primary goal of POP management is to alleviate suffering and facilitate a seamless return to normal function for the patient. Despite compelling evidence of its drawbacks, opioid analgesia remains the basis of POP treatment. Novel therapeutic approaches rely on multimodal analgesia, integrating different pharmacological strategies to optimize efficacy while minimizing adverse effects. The recognition of the imperative role of the endocannabinoid system in pain regulation has prompted the investigation of cannabinoid compounds as a new therapeutic avenue. Cannabinoids may serve as adjuvants, enhancing the analgesic effects of other drugs and potentially replacing or at least reducing the dependence on other long-term analgesics in pain management. This narrative review succinctly summarizes pertinent information on the molecular mechanisms, clinical therapeutic benefits, and considerations associated with the plausible use of various cannabinoid compounds in treating POP. According to the available evidence, cannabinoid compounds modulate specific molecular mechanisms intimately involved in POP. However, only two of the eleven clinical trials that evaluated the efficacy of different cannabinoid interventions showed positive results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio J. Carrascosa
- Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (A.J.C.); (R.S.); (B.M.); (F.M.G.-G.); (E.M.-S.); (P.P.-D.)
| | - Francisco Navarrete
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Raquel Saldaña
- Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (A.J.C.); (R.S.); (B.M.); (F.M.G.-G.); (E.M.-S.); (P.P.-D.)
| | - María S. García-Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Belinda Montalbán
- Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (A.J.C.); (R.S.); (B.M.); (F.M.G.-G.); (E.M.-S.); (P.P.-D.)
| | - Daniela Navarro
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Fernando M. Gómez-Guijarro
- Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (A.J.C.); (R.S.); (B.M.); (F.M.G.-G.); (E.M.-S.); (P.P.-D.)
| | - Ani Gasparyan
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Elena Murcia-Sánchez
- Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (A.J.C.); (R.S.); (B.M.); (F.M.G.-G.); (E.M.-S.); (P.P.-D.)
| | - Abraham B. Torregrosa
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Paloma Pérez-Doblado
- Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (A.J.C.); (R.S.); (B.M.); (F.M.G.-G.); (E.M.-S.); (P.P.-D.)
| | - Luisa Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Jorge Manzanares
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
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Pedrosa AM, Caetano TTV, Andrade CMLD, Bernardes MM, Alves BC, Belo V, Duarte-Almeida JM, Stein VC. Cannabis sativa L. from Seized Drug Material: In Vitro Germination and Establishment. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2024; 9:e924-e932. [PMID: 37729052 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: With the expansion of the cannabis-derived product market, there is a growing need for seedling development to produce raw material for pharmaceutical applications and medicinal research. However, cannabis cultivation is illegal in many countries, and legal producers do not sell cannabis seeds in these countries. In Brazil, cannabis is still illegal, and the only way to obtain access to cannabis plants for research or as medicine is through importation, which is costly and requires authorization from the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), or from material seized by the police from drug trafficking. Methods: Therefore, since cannabis seeds obtained from drug trafficking have never been tested regarding their viability and use in in vitro cultivation, the aim of this study was to analyze the in vitro establishment of cannabis from seeds derived from Brazilian drug trafficking seizures that were provided by the police to investigate seed disinfestation procedures and further multiplication of nodal segments, with the purpose of obtaining material for medicinal research in the country. Seeds were subjected to four disinfestation treatments. Results: The best disinfestation treatment consisted in submerging the seeds in a 2 g·L-1 Captan® solution for 30 min before following the standard procedure with 70% ethanol for 30 sec and then 20 min in 2.5% sodium hypochlorite. The in vitro establishment of cannabis from seeds originating from Brazilian drug trafficking seizures was successful. The germination rate ranged from 10% to 90% according to the sample material. Non-brick weed, which consisted of dry leaves, stalks, and flowers, was more suitable for seed extraction and germination. Clones originating from BW4b showed the best development results compared with others. Conclusions: This is the first report of in vitro cannabis use in Brazil and opens great prospects for future work on its cultivation and research for medicinal applications in the country without relying on seed importation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Moraes Pedrosa
- Federal University of São João del-Rei, Campus Centro-Oeste Dona Lindu, Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Bruna Cristina Alves
- Federal University of São João del-Rei, Campus Centro-Oeste Dona Lindu, Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vinícius Belo
- Federal University of São João del-Rei, Campus Centro-Oeste Dona Lindu, Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Wen J, Sackett S, Tanaka M, Zhang Y. Therapeutic Effects of Combined Treatment with the AEA Hydrolysis Inhibitor PF04457845 and the Substrate Selective COX-2 Inhibitor LM4131 in the Mouse Model of Neuropathic Pain. Cells 2023; 12:cells12091275. [PMID: 37174675 PMCID: PMC10177584 DOI: 10.3390/cells12091275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic neuropathic pain resulting from peripheral nerve damage is a significant clinical problem, which makes it imperative to develop the mechanism-based therapeutic approaches. Enhancement of endogenous cannabinoids by blocking their hydrolysis has been shown to reduce inflammation and neuronal damage in a number of neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. However, recent studies suggest that inhibition of their hydrolysis can shift endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA) toward the oxygenation pathway mediated by cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) to produce proinflammatory prostaglandin glycerol esters (PG-Gs) and prostaglandin ethanolamides (PG-EAs). Thus, blocking both endocannabinoid hydrolysis and oxygenation is likely to be more clinically beneficial. In this study, we used the chronic constriction injury (CCI) mouse model to explore the therapeutic effects of simultaneous inhibition of AEA hydrolysis and oxygenation in the treatment of neuropathic pain. We found that the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor PF04457845 and the substrate-selective COX-2 inhibitor LM4131 dose-dependently reduced thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in the CCI mice. In addition to ameliorating the pain behaviors, combined treatment with subeffective doses of these inhibitors greatly attenuated the accumulation of inflammatory cells in both sciatic nerve and spinal cord. Consistently, the increased proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and chemokine MCP-1 in the CCI mouse spinal cord and sciatic nerve were also significantly reduced by combination of low doses of PF04457845 and LM4131 treatment. Therefore, our study suggests that simultaneous blockage of endocannabinoid hydrolysis and oxygenation by using the substrate-selective COX-2 inhibitor, which avoids the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal side effects associated with the use of general COX-2 inhibitors, might be a suitable strategy for the treatment of inflammatory and neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wen
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Scott Sackett
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Mikiei Tanaka
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Yumin Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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Shah S, Schwenk ES, Sondekoppam RV, Clarke H, Zakowski M, Rzasa-Lynn RS, Yeung B, Nicholson K, Schwartz G, Hooten WM, Wallace M, Viscusi ER, Narouze S. ASRA Pain Medicine consensus guidelines on the management of the perioperative patient on cannabis and cannabinoids. Reg Anesth Pain Med 2023; 48:97-117. [PMID: 36596580 DOI: 10.1136/rapm-2022-104013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The past two decades have seen an increase in cannabis use due to both regulatory changes and an interest in potential therapeutic effects of the substance, yet many aspects of the substance and their health implications remain controversial or unclear. METHODS In November 2020, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine charged the Cannabis Working Group to develop guidelines for the perioperative use of cannabis. The Perioperative Use of Cannabis and Cannabinoids Guidelines Committee was charged with drafting responses to the nine key questions using a modified Delphi method with the overall goal of producing a document focused on the safe management of surgical patients using cannabinoids. A consensus recommendation required ≥75% agreement. RESULTS Nine questions were selected, with 100% consensus achieved on third-round voting. Topics addressed included perioperative screening, postponement of elective surgery, concomitant use of opioid and cannabis perioperatively, implications for parturients, adjustment in anesthetic and analgesics intraoperatively, postoperative monitoring, cannabis use disorder, and postoperative concerns. Surgical patients using cannabinoids are at potential increased risk for negative perioperative outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Specific clinical recommendations for perioperative management of cannabis and cannabinoids were successfully created.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Shah
- Dept of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care, UC Irvine Health, Orange, California, USA
| | - Eric S Schwenk
- Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Hance Clarke
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Univ Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark Zakowski
- Anesthesiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Brent Yeung
- Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | | | - Gary Schwartz
- AABP Integrative Pain Care, Melville, New York, USA.,Anesthesiology, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | | | - Mark Wallace
- Anesthesiology, Division of Pain Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Eugene R Viscusi
- Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Samer Narouze
- Center for Pain Medicine, Western Reserve Hospital, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, USA
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Morello V, Brousseau VD, Wu N, Wu BS, MacPherson S, Lefsrud M. Light Quality Impacts Vertical Growth Rate, Phytochemical Yield and Cannabinoid Production Efficiency in Cannabis sativa. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:2982. [PMID: 36365435 PMCID: PMC9659141 DOI: 10.3390/plants11212982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Light is one of the most crucial parameters for enclosed cannabis (Cannabis sativa) production, as it highly influences growth, secondary metabolite production, and operational costs. The objective of this study was to investigate and evaluate the impact of six light spectra on C. sativa ('Babbas Erkle Cookies' accession) growth traits and secondary metabolite (cannabinoid and terpene) profiles. The light spectra evaluated included blue (430 nm), red (630 nm), rose (430 + 630 nm, ratio 1:10), purple (430 + 630 nm, ratio 2:1), and amber (595 nm) LED treatments, in addition to a high-pressure sodium (HPS, amber-rich light) treatment as a control. All the LED light treatments had lower fresh mean inflorescence mass than the control (HPS, 133.59 g plant-1), and monochromatic blue light yielded the least fresh inflorescence mass (76.39 g plant-1). Measurement of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration (%) and total yield (g plant-1) showed how inflorescence mass and THC concentration need to be analyzed conjointly. Blue treatment resulted in the highest THC concentration (10.17% m/m), yet the lowest THC concentration per plant (1.44 g plant-1). The highest THC concentration per plant was achieved with HPS (2.54 g plant-1). As with THC, blue light increased cannabigerol (CBG) and terpene concentration. Conversely, blue light had a lesser impact on cannabidiol (CBD) biosynthesis in this C. sativa chemotype. As the combined effects of the light spectrum on both growth traits and secondary metabolites have important ramifications for the industry, the inappropriate spectral design could cause a reduction in cannabinoid production (20-40%). These findings show promise in helping producers choose spectral designs that meet specific C. sativa production goals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Mark Lefsrud
- Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
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Casey SL, Mitchell VA, Sokolaj EE, Winters BL, Vaughan CW. Intrathecal Actions of the Cannabis Constituents Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol in a Mouse Neuropathic Pain Model. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158649. [PMID: 35955774 PMCID: PMC9369424 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: The psychoactive and non-psychoactive constituents of cannabis, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), synergistically reduce allodynia in various animal models of neuropathic pain. Unfortunately, THC-containing drugs also produce substantial side-effects when administered systemically. We examined the effectiveness of targeted spinal delivery of these cannabis constituents, alone and in combination. (2) Methods: The effect of acute intrathecal drug delivery on allodynia and common cannabinoid-like side-effects was examined in a mouse chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain. (3) Results: intrathecal THC and CBD produced dose-dependent reductions in mechanical and cold allodynia. In a 1:1 combination, they synergistically reduced mechanical and cold allodynia, with a two-fold increase in potency compared to their predicted additive effect. Neither THC, CBD nor combination THC:CBD produced any cannabis-like side-effects at equivalent doses. The anti-allodynic effects of THC were abolished and partly reduced by cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptor antagonists AM281 and AM630, respectively. The anti-allodynic effects of CBD were partly reduced by AM630. (4) Conclusions: these findings indicate that intrathecal THC and CBD, individually and in combination, could provide a safe and effective treatment for nerve injury induced neuropathic pain.
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Rodriguez CEB, Ouyang L, Kandasamy R. Antinociceptive effects of minor cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids in Cannabis. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:130-157. [PMID: 33709984 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. Given the dangerous and unpleasant side effects of existing analgesics, the chemical constituents of Cannabis have garnered significant interest for their antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. To date, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) remain the two most widely studied constituents of Cannabis in animals. These studies have led to formulations of THC and CBD for human use; however, chronic pain patients also use different strains of Cannabis (sativa, indica and ruderalis) to alleviate their pain. These strains contain major cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, but they also contain a wide variety of cannabinoid and noncannabinoid constituents. Although the analgesic effects of Cannabis are attributed to major cannabinoids, evidence indicates other constituents such as minor cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids also produce antinociception against animal models of acute, inflammatory, neuropathic, muscle and orofacial pain. In some cases, these constituents produce antinociception that is equivalent or greater compared to that produced by traditional analgesics. Thus, a better understanding of the extent to which these constituents produce antinociception alone in animals is necessary. The purposes of this review are to (1) introduce the different minor cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids found in Cannabis and (2) discuss evidence of their antinociceptive properties in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Erwin B Rodriguez
- Department of Psychology, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA
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8
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Arout CA, Haney M, Herrmann ES, Bedi G, Cooper ZD. A placebo-controlled investigation of the analgesic effects, abuse liability, safety and tolerability of a range of oral cannabidiol doses in healthy humans. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 88:347-355. [PMID: 34223660 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.14973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Preclinical studies demonstrate that cannabidiol (CBD) elicits an antinociceptive response in animal models of neuropathic pain; in humans, limited data are available to support such analgesic effects. Few studies have examined CBD's analgesic effects when administered without other compounds, and little is known regarding dose-dependent effects in noncannabis users. METHODS This double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject outpatient clinical laboratory study sought to determine the analgesic effects, abuse liability, safety and tolerability of acute CBD (0, 200, 400 and 800 mg orally) in healthy noncannabis-using volunteers (n = 17; 8 men, 9 women). Outcomes included experimental pain threshold and pain tolerance using the cold pressor test (CPT), subjective ratings of CPT painfulness and bothersomeness, subjective ratings of abuse liability and mood, and cardiovascular measures, which were assessed at baseline and several time points after drug administration. Data analyses included repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with planned comparisons. RESULTS CBD failed to consistently affect pain threshold and tolerance in the CPT relative to placebo. All doses of CBD increased ratings of painfulness compared to placebo (P < .01). Further, CBD had dose-dependent, modest effects on mood and subjective drug effects associated with abuse liability. Oral CBD was safe and well tolerated, producing small decreases in blood pressure (P < .01). CONCLUSION CBD did not elicit consistent dose-dependent analgesia and in fact increased pain on some measures. Future studies exploring CBD-induced pain relief should consider using a more extensive pain assessment paradigm in different participant populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline A Arout
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, New York Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Margaret Haney
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, New York Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Evan S Herrmann
- Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences, National Institute on Drug Abuse, USA
| | - Gillinder Bedi
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne and Substance Use Research Group, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ziva D Cooper
- University of California, Los Angeles Cannabis Research Initiative, Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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9
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Kemény LV, Robinson KC, Hermann AL, Walker DM, Regan S, Yew YW, Lai YC, Theodosakis N, Rivera PD, Ding W, Yang L, Beyer T, Loh YHE, Lo JA, van der Sande AAJ, Sarnie W, Kotler D, Hsiao JJ, Su MY, Kato S, Kotler J, Bilbo SD, Chopra V, Salomon MP, Shen S, Hoon DSB, Asgari MM, Wakeman SE, Nestler EJ, Fisher DE. Vitamin D deficiency exacerbates UV/endorphin and opioid addiction. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/24/eabe4577. [PMID: 34117054 PMCID: PMC8195487 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The current opioid epidemic warrants a better understanding of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to opioid addiction. Here we report an increased prevalence of vitamin D (VitD) deficiency in patients diagnosed with opioid use disorder and an inverse and dose-dependent association of VitD levels with self-reported opioid use. We used multiple pharmacologic approaches and genetic mouse models and found that deficiencies in VitD signaling amplify exogenous opioid responses that are normalized upon restoration of VitD signaling. Similarly, physiologic endogenous opioid analgesia and reward responses triggered by ultraviolet (UV) radiation are repressed by VitD signaling, suggesting that a feedback loop exists whereby VitD deficiency produces increased UV/endorphin-seeking behavior until VitD levels are restored by cutaneous VitD synthesis. This feedback may carry the evolutionary advantage of maximizing VitD synthesis. However, unlike UV exposure, exogenous opioid use is not followed by VitD synthesis (and its opioid suppressive effects), contributing to maladaptive addictive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lajos V Kemény
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathleen C Robinson
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrea L Hermann
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deena M Walker
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susan Regan
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Yi Chun Lai
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Nicholas Theodosakis
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Phillip D Rivera
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Hope College, Holland, MI, USA
| | - Weihua Ding
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liuyue Yang
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tobias Beyer
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yong-Hwee E Loh
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- USC Libraries Bioinformatics Services, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer A Lo
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anita A J van der Sande
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William Sarnie
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Kotler
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer J Hsiao
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mack Y Su
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shinichiro Kato
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph Kotler
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Staci D Bilbo
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vanita Chopra
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Matthew P Salomon
- Department of Translational Molecular Medicine, Division of Molecular Oncology, John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Shiqian Shen
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dave S B Hoon
- Department of Translational Molecular Medicine, Division of Molecular Oncology, John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Maryam M Asgari
- Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah E Wakeman
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - David E Fisher
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Desaulniers Brousseau V, Wu BS, MacPherson S, Morello V, Lefsrud M. Cannabinoids and Terpenes: How Production of Photo-Protectants Can Be Manipulated to Enhance Cannabis sativa L. Phytochemistry. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:620021. [PMID: 34135916 PMCID: PMC8200639 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.620021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis sativa L. is cultivated for its secondary metabolites, of which the cannabinoids have documented health benefits and growing pharmaceutical potential. Recent legal cannabis production in North America and Europe has been accompanied by an increase in reported findings for optimization of naturally occurring and synthetic cannabinoid production. Of the many environmental cues that can be manipulated during plant growth in controlled environments, cannabis cultivation with different lighting spectra indicates differential production and accumulation of medically important cannabinoids, including Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabigerol (CBG), as well as terpenes and flavonoids. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation shows potential in stimulating cannabinoid biosynthesis in cannabis trichomes and pre-harvest or post-harvest UV treatment merits further exploration to determine if plant secondary metabolite accumulation could be enhanced in this manner. Visible LED light can augment THC and terpene accumulation, but not CBD. Well-designed experiments with light wavelengths other than blue and red light will provide more insight into light-dependent regulatory and molecular pathways in cannabis. Lighting strategies such as subcanopy lighting and varied light spectra at different developmental stages can lower energy consumption and optimize cannabis PSM production. Although evidence demonstrates that secondary metabolites in cannabis may be modulated by the light spectrum like other plant species, several questions remain for cannabinoid production pathways in this fast-paced and growing industry. In summarizing recent research progress on light spectra and secondary metabolites in cannabis, along with pertinent light responses in model plant species, future research directions are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Mark Lefsrud
- Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
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11
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Haspula D, Clark MA. Cannabinoid Receptors: An Update on Cell Signaling, Pathophysiological Roles and Therapeutic Opportunities in Neurological, Cardiovascular, and Inflammatory Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7693. [PMID: 33080916 PMCID: PMC7590033 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of the human cannabinoid receptors and their roles in health and disease, has been one of the most significant biochemical and pharmacological advancements to have occurred in the past few decades. In spite of the major strides made in furthering endocannabinoid research, therapeutic exploitation of the endocannabinoid system has often been a challenging task. An impaired endocannabinoid tone often manifests as changes in expression and/or functions of type 1 and/or type 2 cannabinoid receptors. It becomes important to understand how alterations in cannabinoid receptor cellular signaling can lead to disruptions in major physiological and biological functions, as they are often associated with the pathogenesis of several neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory diseases. This review focusses mostly on the pathophysiological roles of type 1 and type 2 cannabinoid receptors, and it attempts to integrate both cellular and physiological functions of the cannabinoid receptors. Apart from an updated review of pre-clinical and clinical studies, the adequacy/inadequacy of cannabinoid-based therapeutics in various pathological conditions is also highlighted. Finally, alternative strategies to modulate endocannabinoid tone, and future directions are also emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhanush Haspula
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Michelle A. Clark
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
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12
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Udoh M, Santiago M, Devenish S, McGregor IS, Connor M. Cannabichromene is a cannabinoid CB 2 receptor agonist. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:4537-4547. [PMID: 31368508 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cannabichromene (CBC) is one of the most abundant phytocannabinoids in Cannabis spp. It has modest antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects and potentiates some effects of Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol in vivo. How CBC exerts these effects is poorly defined and there is little information about its efficacy at cannabinoid receptors. We sought to determine the functional activity of CBC at cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH AtT20 cells stably expressing haemagglutinin-tagged human CB1 and CB2 receptors were used. Assays of cellular membrane potential and loss of cell surface receptors were performed. KEY RESULTS CBC activated CB2 but not CB1 receptors to produce hyperpolarization of AtT20 cells. This activation was inhibited by a CB2 receptor antagonist AM630, and sensitive to Pertussis toxin. Application of CBC reduced activation of CB2 , but not CB1 , receptors by subsequent co-application of CP55,940, an efficacious CB1 and CB2 receptor agonist. Continuous CBC application induced loss of cell surface CB2 receptors and desensitization of the CB2 receptor-induced hyperpolarization. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS CBC is a selective CB2 receptor agonist displaying higher efficacy than tetrahydrocannabinol in hyperpolarizing AtT20 cells. CBC can also recruit CB2 receptor regulatory mechanisms. CBC may contribute to the potential therapeutic effectiveness of some cannabis preparations, potentially through CB2 receptor-mediated modulation of inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Udoh
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marina Santiago
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Steven Devenish
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Iain S McGregor
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mark Connor
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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13
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Abstract
All preclinical procedures for analgesic drug discovery involve two components: 1) a "pain stimulus" (the principal independent variable), which is delivered to an experimental subject with the intention of producing a pain state; and 2) a "pain behavior" (the principal dependent variable), which is measured as evidence of that pain state. Candidate analgesics are then evaluated for their effectiveness to reduce the pain behavior, and results are used to prioritize drugs for advancement to clinical testing. This review describes a taxonomy of preclinical procedures organized into an "antinociception matrix" by reference to their types of pain stimulus (noxious, inflammatory, neuropathic, disease related) and pain behavior (unconditioned, classically conditioned, operant conditioned). Particular emphasis is devoted to pain behaviors and the behavioral principals that govern their expression, pharmacological modulation, and preclinical-to-clinical translation. Strengths and weaknesses are compared and contrasted for procedures using each type of behavioral outcome measure, and the following four recommendations are offered to promote strategic use of these procedures for preclinical-to-clinical analgesic drug testing. First, attend to the degree of homology between preclinical and clinical outcome measures, and use preclinical procedures with behavioral outcome measures homologous to clinically relevant outcomes in humans. Second, use combinations of preclinical procedures with complementary strengths and weaknesses to optimize both sensitivity and selectivity of preclinical testing. Third, take advantage of failed clinical translation to identify drugs that can be back-translated preclinically as active negative controls. Finally, increase precision of procedure labels by indicating both the pain stimulus and the pain behavior in naming preclinical procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Stevens Negus
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
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14
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Central and peripheral anti-hyperalgesic effects of diosmin in a neuropathic pain model in rats. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 97:310-320. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.10.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
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Donvito G, Nass SR, Wilkerson JL, Curry ZA, Schurman LD, Kinsey SG, Lichtman AH. The Endogenous Cannabinoid System: A Budding Source of Targets for Treating Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:52-79. [PMID: 28857069 PMCID: PMC5719110 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A great need exists for the development of new medications to treat pain resulting from various disease states and types of injury. Given that the endogenous cannabinoid (that is, endocannabinoid) system modulates neuronal and immune cell function, both of which play key roles in pain, therapeutics targeting this system hold promise as novel analgesics. Potential therapeutic targets include the cannabinoid receptors, type 1 and 2, as well as biosynthetic and catabolic enzymes of the endocannabinoids N-arachidonoylethanolamine and 2-arachidonoylglycerol. Notably, cannabinoid receptor agonists as well as inhibitors of endocannabinoid-regulating enzymes fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase produce reliable antinociceptive effects, and offer opioid-sparing antinociceptive effects in myriad preclinical inflammatory and neuropathic pain models. Emerging clinical studies show that 'medicinal' cannabis or cannabinoid-based medications relieve pain in human diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, and fibromyalgia. However, clinical data have yet to demonstrate the analgesic efficacy of inhibitors of endocannabinoid-regulating enzymes. Likewise, the question of whether pharmacotherapies aimed at the endocannabinoid system promote opioid-sparing effects in the treatment of pain reflects an important area of research. Here we examine the preclinical and clinical evidence of various endocannabinoid system targets as potential therapeutic strategies for inflammatory and neuropathic pain conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Donvito
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Sara R Nass
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Jenny L Wilkerson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Zachary A Curry
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Lesley D Schurman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Steven G Kinsey
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Aron H Lichtman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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Britch SC, Wiley JL, Yu Z, Clowers BH, Craft RM. Cannabidiol-Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol interactions on acute pain and locomotor activity. Drug Alcohol Depend 2017; 175:187-197. [PMID: 28445853 PMCID: PMC5499986 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.01.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies suggest that cannabidiol (CBD) may potentiate or antagonize Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol's (THC) effects. The current study examined sex differences in CBD modulation of THC-induced antinociception, hypolocomotion, and metabolism. METHODS In Experiment 1, CBD (0, 10 or 30mg/kg) was administered 15min before THC (0, 1.8, 3.2, 5.6 or 10mg/kg), and rats were tested for antinociception and locomotion 15-360min post-THC injection. In Experiments 2 and 3, CBD (30mg/kg) was administered 13h or 15min before THC (1.8mg/kg); rats were tested for antinociception and locomotion 30-480min post-THC injection (Experiment 2), or serum samples were taken 30-360min post-THC injection to examine CBD modulation of THC metabolism (Experiment 3). RESULTS In Experiment 1, CBD alone produced no antinociceptive effects, while enhancing THC-induced paw pressure but not tail withdrawal antinociception 4-6h post-THC injection. CBD alone increased locomotor activity at 6h post-injection, but enhanced THC-induced hypolocomotion 4-6h post-THC injection, at lower THC doses. There were no sex differences in CBD-THC interactions. In Experiments 2 and 3, CBD did not significantly enhance THC's effects when CBD was administered 13h or 15min before THC; however, CBD inhibited THC metabolism, and this effect was greater in females than males. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that CBD may enhance THC's antinociceptive and hypolocomotive effects, primarily prolonging THC's duration of action; however, these effects were small and inconsistent across experiments. CBD inhibition of THC metabolism as well other mechanisms likely contribute to CBD-THC interactions on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stevie C. Britch
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA 99164-4820
| | - Jenny L. Wiley
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA 27709-2194
| | - Zhihao Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA, 99164-4630
| | - Brian H. Clowers
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA, 99164-4630
| | - Rebecca M. Craft
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA 99164-4820
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Déciga-Campos M, Ramírez-Marín PM, López-Muñoz FJ. Synergistic antinociceptive interaction between palmitoylethanolamide and tramadol in the mouse formalin test. Eur J Pharmacol 2015; 765:68-74. [PMID: 26297302 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Revised: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Pharmacological synergism has been used to obtain a higher efficacy using drug concentrations at which side effects are minimal. In this study, the pharmacological antinociceptive interaction between N-palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and tramadol was investigated. The individual concentration-response curves for PEA (0.1-56.2 μg/paw) and tramadol (1-56.2 μg/paw) were evaluated in mice in which nociception was induced by an intraplantar injection of 2% formalin. Isobolographic analysis was used to evaluate the pharmacological interaction between PEA (EC50=23.7±1.6 μg/paw) and tramadol (EC50=26.02±2.96 μg/paw) using the EC50 and a fixed 1:1 ratio combination. The isobologram demonstrated that the combinations investigated in this study produced a synergistic interaction; the experimental values (Zexp=9.5±0.2 μg/paw) were significantly smaller than those calculated theoretically (Zadd=24.8±0.2 μg/paw). The antinociceptive mechanisms of the PEA and tramadol combination involved the opioid receptor, transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α). The sedative effect of the combination of PEA and tramadol was less than that generated by individual treatments. These findings suggest that the PEA and tramadol combination produced enhanced antinociceptive efficacy at concentrations at which side effects are minimal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrna Déciga-Campos
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, D.F.11340, Mexico
| | - Pamela Moncerrat Ramírez-Marín
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, D.F.11340, Mexico
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18
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Mechanical hyperalgesia in rats with diabetic polyneuropathy is selectively inhibited by local peripheral nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor and µ-opioid receptor agonism. Eur J Pharmacol 2015; 754:61-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.01.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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19
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Skin β-endorphin mediates addiction to UV light. Cell 2014; 157:1527-34. [PMID: 24949966 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2012] [Revised: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 04/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
UV light is an established carcinogen, yet evidence suggests that UV-seeking behavior has addictive features. Following UV exposure, epidermal keratinocytes synthesize proopiomelanocortin (POMC) that is processed to melanocyte-stimulating hormone, inducing tanning. We show that, in rodents, another POMC-derived peptide, β-endorphin, is coordinately synthesized in skin, elevating plasma levels after low-dose UV. Increases in pain-related thresholds are observed and reversed by pharmacologic opioid antagonism. Opioid blockade also elicits withdrawal signs after chronic UV exposure. This effect was sufficient to guide operant behavioral choices to avoidance of opioid withdrawal (conditioned place aversion). These UV-induced nociceptive and behavioral effects were absent in β-endorphin knockout mice and in mice lacking p53-mediated POMC induction in epidermal keratinocytes. Although primordial UV addiction, mediated by the hedonic action of β-endorphin and anhedonic effects of withdrawal, may theoretically have enhanced evolutionary vitamin D biosynthesis, it now may contribute to the relentless rise in skin cancer incidence in humans.
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20
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Mendis
- Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia, Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust, Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 7ET
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21
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Schröder W, Vry J, Tzschentke TM, Jahnel U, Christoph T. Differential contribution of opioid and noradrenergic mechanisms of tapentadol in rat models of nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Eur J Pain 2012; 14:814-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2010.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2009] [Revised: 04/28/2010] [Accepted: 05/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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22
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Conte A, Bettolo CM, Onesti E, Frasca V, Iacovelli E, Gilio F, Giacomelli E, Gabriele M, Aragona M, Tomassini V, Pantano P, Pozzilli C, Inghilleri M. Cannabinoid-induced effects on the nociceptive system: A neurophysiological study in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Eur J Pain 2012; 13:472-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2008.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2008] [Revised: 05/22/2008] [Accepted: 05/22/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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23
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Gunduz O, Karadag HC, Ulugol A. Synergistic anti-allodynic effects of nociceptin/orphanin FQ and cannabinoid systems in neuropathic mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2011; 99:540-4. [PMID: 21664922 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2011.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2011] [Revised: 05/18/2011] [Accepted: 05/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Combinations of analgesics from different classes are commonly used in the management of chronic pain. The goal is to enhance pain relief together with the reduction of side effects. The present study was undertaken to examine the anti-allodynic synergy resulting from the combination of WIN 55,212-2, a cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonist, and JTC-801, a nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor antagonist, on neuropathic pain. Mice were tested for behavioral effects before and 2-4 weeks after the surgery, in which a partial tight ligation of the sciatic nerve was made. Nerve injury-induced mechanical allodynia was assessed with Dynamic Plantar Aesthesiometer, and a hot/cold plate was used to assess cold allodynia. Both WIN 55,212-2 and JTC-801 produced dose-dependent mechanical and cold anti-allodynic effects. As shown by isobolographic analysis, WIN 55,212-2/JTC-801 combinations interacted synergistically at all three ratios studied in the mechanical allodynia assay. In conclusion, co-administration of a cannabinoid with a nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor antagonist resulted in a synergistic interaction, which may have utility in the pharmacological treatment of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozgur Gunduz
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, 22030-Edirne, Turkey
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24
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Schiene K, De Vry J, Tzschentke TM. Antinociceptive and Antihyperalgesic Effects of Tapentadol in Animal Models of Inflammatory Pain. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2011; 339:537-44. [DOI: 10.1124/jpet.111.181263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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25
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Manzanares J, Julian M, Carrascosa A. Role of the cannabinoid system in pain control and therapeutic implications for the management of acute and chronic pain episodes. Curr Neuropharmacol 2010; 4:239-57. [PMID: 18615144 DOI: 10.2174/157015906778019527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2005] [Revised: 08/03/2005] [Accepted: 09/30/2005] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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 with acute or chronic pain. The discovery of cannabinoid receptors, their endogenous ligands, and the machinery for the synthesis, transport, and degradation of these retrograde messengers, has equipped us with neurochemical tools for novel drug design. Agonist-activated cannabinoid receptors, modulate nociceptive thresholds, inhibit release of pro-inflammatory molecules, and display synergistic effects with other systems that influence analgesia, especially the endogenous opioid system. Cannabinoid receptor agonists have shown therapeutic value against inflammatory and neuropathic pains, conditions that are often refractory to therapy. Although the psychoactive effects of these substances have limited clinical progress to study cannabinoid actions in pain mechanisms, preclinical research is progressing rapidly. For example, CB(1)mediated suppression of mast cell activation responses, CB(2)-mediated indirect stimulation of opioid receptors located in primary afferent pathways, and the discovery of inhibitors for either the transporters or the enzymes degrading endocannabinoids, are recent findings that suggest new therapeutic approaches to avoid central nervous system side effects. In this review, we will examine promising indications of cannabinoid receptor agonists to alleviate acute and chronic pain episodes. Recently, Cannabis sativa extracts, containing known doses of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, have granted approval in Canada for the relief of neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis. Further double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials are needed to evaluate the potential therapeutic effectiveness of various cannabinoid agonists-based medications for controlling different types of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Manzanares
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernandez-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Apartado de correos 18, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain.
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Endothelin-A receptor antagonism attenuates carcinoma-induced pain through opioids in mice. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2010; 11:663-71. [PMID: 20071245 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2009.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2009] [Revised: 09/10/2009] [Accepted: 10/08/2009] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED We previously reported that endothelin A (ET-A) receptor antagonism attenuates carcinoma-induced pain in a cancer pain mouse model. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of ET-A receptor-mediated antinociception and evaluated the role of endogenous opioid analgesia. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell culture treated with the ET-A receptor antagonist (BQ-123) at 10(-6) M and 10(-5) M significantly increased production and secretion of beta-endorphin and leu-enkephalin, respectively. Behavioral studies were performed by inducing tumors in the hind paw of female nude mice with local injection of cells derived from a human oral SCC. Significant pain, as indicated by reduction in withdrawal thresholds in response to mechanical stimulation, began at 4 days after SCC inoculation and lasted to 18 days, the last day of measurement. Local administration of either naloxone methiodide (500 microg/kg), selective antagonists for mu-opioid receptor (CTOP, 500 microg/kg), or delta-opioid receptor (naltrindole, 11 mg/kg) but not kappa-opioid receptor (nor-BNI, 2.5 mg/kg) significantly reversed antinociception observed from ET-A receptor antagonism (BQ-123, 92 mg/kg) in cancer animals. These results demonstrate that antagonism of peripheral ET-A receptor attenuates carcinoma pain by modulating release of endogenous opioids to act on opioid receptors in the cancer microenvironment. PERSPECTIVE This article proposes a novel mechanism for ET-A receptor antagonist drugs in managing cancer-induced pain. An improved understanding of the role of innate opioid analgesia in ET-A receptor-mediated antinociception might provide novel alternatives to morphine therapy for the treatment of cancer pain.
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Abstract
Cannabinoids and opioids produce antinociceptive synergy. Cannabinoids such as Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) release endogenous opioids and endocannabinoids such as anandamide (AEA) also alter endogenous opioid tone. Opioids and cannabinoids bind distinct receptors that co-localize in areas of the brain involved with the processing of pain signals. Therefore, it is logical to look at interactions of these two systems in the modulation of both acute and chronic pain. These drugs are often co-abused. In addition, the lack of continued effectiveness of opioids due to tolerance development limits the use of such drugs. The cost to society and patients in terms of dollars, loss of productivity, as well as quality of life, is staggering. This review summarizes the data indicating that with cannabinoid/opioid therapy one may be able to produce long-term antinociceptive effects at doses devoid of substantial side effects, while preventing the neuronal biochemical changes that accompany tolerance. The clinical utility of modulators of the endocannabinoid system as a potential mimic for THC-like drugs in analgesia and tolerance-sparing effects of opioids is a critical future direction also addressed in the review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra P Welch
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0524, USA.
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28
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Garzón J, de la Torre-Madrid E, Rodríguez-Muñoz M, Vicente-Sánchez A, Sánchez-Blázquez P. Gz mediates the long-lasting desensitization of brain CB1 receptors and is essential for cross-tolerance with morphine. Mol Pain 2009; 5:11. [PMID: 19284549 PMCID: PMC2657119 DOI: 10.1186/1744-8069-5-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2008] [Accepted: 03/10/2009] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although the systemic administration of cannabinoids produces antinociception, their chronic use leads to analgesic tolerance as well as cross-tolerance to morphine. These effects are mediated by cannabinoids binding to peripheral, spinal and supraspinal CB1 and CB2 receptors, making it difficult to determine the relevance of each receptor type to these phenomena. However, in the brain, the CB1 receptors (CB1Rs) are expressed at high levels in neurons, whereas the expression of CB2Rs is marginal. Thus, CB1Rs mediate the effects of smoked cannabis and are also implicated in emotional behaviors. We have analyzed the production of supraspinal analgesia and the development of tolerance at CB1Rs by the direct injection of a series of cannabinoids into the brain. The influence of the activation of CB1Rs on supraspinal analgesia evoked by morphine was also evaluated. Results Intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of cannabinoid receptor agonists, WIN55,212-2, ACEA or methanandamide, generated a dose-dependent analgesia. Notably, a single administration of these compounds brought about profound analgesic tolerance that lasted for more than 14 days. This decrease in the effect of cannabinoid receptor agonists was not mediated by depletion of CB1Rs or the loss of regulated G proteins, but, nevertheless, it was accompanied by reduced morphine analgesia. On the other hand, acute morphine administration produced tolerance that lasted only 3 days and did not affect the CB1R. We found that both neural mu-opioid receptors (MORs) and CB1Rs interact with the HINT1-RGSZ module, thereby regulating pertussis toxin-insensitive Gz proteins. In mice with reduced levels of these Gz proteins, the CB1R agonists produced no such desensitization or morphine cross-tolerance. On the other hand, experimental enhancement of Gz signaling enabled an acute icv administration of morphine to produce a long-lasting tolerance at MORs that persisted for more than 2 weeks, and it also impaired the analgesic effects of cannabinoids. Conclusion In the brain, cannabinoids can produce analgesic tolerance that is not associated with the loss of surface CB1Rs or their uncoupling from regulated transduction. Neural specific Gz proteins are essential mediators of the analgesic effects of supraspinal CB1R agonists and morphine. These Gz proteins are also responsible for the long-term analgesic tolerance produced by single doses of these agonists, as well as for the cross-tolerance between CB1Rs and MORs.
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29
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Ellis RJ, Toperoff W, Vaida F, van den Brande G, Gonzales J, Gouaux B, Bentley H, Atkinson JH. Smoked medicinal cannabis for neuropathic pain in HIV: a randomized, crossover clinical trial. Neuropsychopharmacology 2009; 34:672-80. [PMID: 18688212 PMCID: PMC3066045 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2008.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 302] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Despite management with opioids and other pain modifying therapies, neuropathic pain continues to reduce the quality of life and daily functioning in HIV-infected individuals. Cannabinoid receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems have been shown to modulate pain perception. We conducted a clinical trial to assess the impact of smoked cannabis on neuropathic pain in HIV. This was a phase II, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of analgesia with smoked cannabis in HIV-associated distal sensory predominant polyneuropathy (DSPN). Eligible subjects had neuropathic pain refractory to at least two previous analgesic classes; they continued on their prestudy analgesic regimens throughout the trial. Regulatory considerations dictated that subjects smoke under direct observation in a hospital setting. Treatments were placebo and active cannabis ranging in potency between 1 and 8% Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, four times daily for 5 consecutive days during each of 2 treatment weeks, separated by a 2-week washout. The primary outcome was change in pain intensity as measured by the Descriptor Differential Scale (DDS) from a pretreatment baseline to the end of each treatment week. Secondary measures included assessments of mood and daily functioning. Of 127 volunteers screened, 34 eligible subjects enrolled and 28 completed both cannabis and placebo treatments. Among the completers, pain relief was greater with cannabis than placebo (median difference in DDS pain intensity change, 3.3 points, effect size=0.60; p=0.016). The proportions of subjects achieving at least 30% pain relief with cannabis versus placebo were 0.46 (95%CI 0.28, 0.65) and 0.18 (0.03, 0.32). Mood and daily functioning improved to a similar extent during both treatment periods. Although most side effects were mild and self-limited, two subjects experienced treatment-limiting toxicities. Smoked cannabis was generally well tolerated and effective when added to concomitant analgesic therapy in patients with medically refractory pain due to HIV DSPN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald J Ellis
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA 92103, USA.
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30
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Analgesic and antiinflammatory effects of cannabinoid receptor agonists in a rat model of neuropathic pain. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2009; 379:627-36. [DOI: 10.1007/s00210-008-0386-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2008] [Accepted: 12/15/2008] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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31
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Repeated cannabinoid injections into the rat periaqueductal gray enhance subsequent morphine antinociception. Neuropharmacology 2008; 55:1219-25. [PMID: 18723035 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2008.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2008] [Revised: 07/28/2008] [Accepted: 07/29/2008] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Cannabinoids and opiates inhibit pain, in part, by activating the periaqueductal gray (PAG). Evidence suggests this activation occurs through distinct mechanisms. If the antinociceptive mechanisms are distinct, then cross-tolerance between opioids and cannabinoids should not develop. This hypothesis was tested by measuring the antinociceptive effect of microinjecting morphine into the ventrolateral PAG of rats pretreated with the cannabinoid HU-210 for two days. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected twice a day for two days with vehicle (0.4 microL), morphine (5 microg/0.4 microL), HU-210 (5 microg/0.4 microL), or morphine combined with HU-210 into the ventrolateral PAG. Repeated injections of morphine caused a rightward shift in the morphine dose-response curve on Day 3 (i.e., tolerance developed). No tolerance was evident in rats pretreated with morphine combined with HU-210. In rats pretreated with HU-210 alone, morphine antinociception was enhanced. This enhancement was blocked by pretreating rats with the cannabinoid receptor antagonist AM-251, and it also disappeared when rats were tested one week later. Acute microinjection of HU-210 into the PAG antagonized morphine antinociception, suggesting that HU-210-induced enhancement of morphine antinociception is a compensatory response. As hypothesized, there was no evidence of cross-tolerance between morphine and HU-210. In fact, cannabinoid pretreatment enhanced the antinociceptive effect of microinjecting morphine into the ventrolateral PAG. These findings suggest that alternating opioid and cannabinoid treatment could be therapeutically advantageous by preventing the development of tolerance and enhancing morphine antinociception.
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32
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Kumar RN, Chambers WA, Pertwee RG. Pharmacological actions and therapeutic uses of cannabis and cannabinoids. Anaesthesia 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2001.02269.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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33
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Williams J, Haller VL, Stevens DL, Welch SP. Decreased basal endogenous opioid levels in diabetic rodents: Effects on morphine and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinoid-induced antinociception. Eur J Pharmacol 2008; 584:78-86. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2007.12.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2007] [Revised: 12/11/2007] [Accepted: 12/20/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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34
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Guerrero AV, Quang P, Dekker N, Jordan RCK, Schmidt BL. Peripheral cannabinoids attenuate carcinoma-induced nociception in mice. Neurosci Lett 2008; 433:77-81. [PMID: 18242856 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2007.12.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2007] [Revised: 12/10/2007] [Accepted: 12/19/2007] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the cannabinoid receptor (CBr) agonists Win55,212-2 (non-selective) and AM1241 (CBr2 selective) and the peripheral receptor (CBr1) in carcinoma-induced pain using a mouse model. Tumors were induced in the hind paw of female mice by local injection of a human oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Significant pain, as indicated by reduction in withdrawal thresholds in response to mechanical stimulation, began at 4 days after SCC inoculation and lasted to 18 days. Local administration of Win55,212-2 (10 mg/kg) and AM1241 (10 mg/kg) significantly elevated withdrawal thresholds, indicating an antinociceptive effect. Ipsilateral expression of CBr1 protein in L5 DRG was significantly upregulated compared to ipsilateral L4 DRG and in normal tissue. These findings support the suggestion that cannabinoids are capable of producing antinociception in carcinoma-induced pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre V Guerrero
- UCSF School of Dentistry, University of California, Sa Francisco, CA 94143-0440, United States
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35
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Abstract
Cannabis is one of the first plants used as medicine, and the notion that it has potentially valuable therapeutic properties is a matter of current debate. The isolation of its main constituent, Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 and their endogenous ligands) made possible studies concerning the pharmacological activity of cannabinoids. This paper reviews some of the most-important findings in the field of THC pharmacology. Clinical trials, anecdotal reports, and experiments employing animal models strongly support the idea that THC and its derivatives exhibit a wide variety of therapeutic applications. However, the psychotropic effects observed in laboratory animals and the adverse reactions reported during human trials, as well as the risk of tolerance development and potential dependence, limit the application of THC in therapy. Nowadays, researchers focus on other therapeutic strategies by which the endocannabinoid system might be modulated to clinical advantage (inhibitor or activator of endocannabinoid biosynthesis, cellular uptake, or metabolism). However, emerging evidence highlights the beneficial effects of the whole cannabis extract over those observed with single components, indicating cannabis-based medicines as new perspective to revisit the pharmacology of this plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Costa
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, I-20126 Milano.
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36
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Wang S, Lim G, Mao J, Sung B, Yang L, Mao J. Central glucocorticoid receptors regulate the upregulation of spinal cannabinoid-1 receptors after peripheral nerve injury in rats. Pain 2007; 131:96-105. [PMID: 17258396 DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2006.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2006] [Revised: 11/21/2006] [Accepted: 12/19/2006] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that peripheral nerve injury upregulated both glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and cannabinoid-1 receptors (CB1R) within the spinal cord dorsal horn in rats. However, the relationship between the expression of spinal GR and CB1R after nerve injury remains unclear. Here, we examined the hypothesis that the upregulation of spinal CB1R induced by chronic constriction nerve injury (CCI) in rats would be regulated by spinal GR. CCI induced the upregulation of spinal CB1R primarily within the ipsilateral spinal cord dorsal horn as revealed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The expression of CB1R in CCI rats was substantially attenuated by intrathecal treatment with either the GR antagonist RU38486 or a GR antisense oligonucleotide given twice daily for postoperative day 1-6, whereas the expression of spinal CB1R was enhanced following intrathecal administration of a GR sense oligonucleotide twice daily for postoperative day 1-6. Furthermore, the upregulation of spinal CB1R after nerve injury was prevented in adrenalectomized rats, which was at least partially restored with the intrathecal administration of an exogenous GR agonist dexamethasone, indicating that corticosteroids (endogenous GR agonists) were critical to spinal GR actions. Since the development of neuropathic pain behaviors in CCI rats was attenuated by either RU38486 or a GR antisense oligonucleotide, these results suggest that CB1R is a downstream target for spinal GR actions contributory to the mechanisms of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxing Wang
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Division of Pain Medicine, WACC 324, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 15 Parkman Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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37
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Tzschentke TM, Christoph T, Kögel B, Schiene K, Hennies HH, Englberger W, Haurand M, Jahnel U, Cremers TIFH, Friderichs E, De Vry J. (–)-(1R,2R)-3-(3-Dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol Hydrochloride (Tapentadol HCl): a Novel μ-Opioid Receptor Agonist/Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor with Broad-Spectrum Analgesic Properties. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2007; 323:265-76. [PMID: 17656655 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.107.126052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 292] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
(-)-(1R,2R)-3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol hydrochloride (tapentadol HCl) is a novel micro-opioid receptor (MOR) agonist (Ki = 0.1 microM; relative efficacy compared with morphine 88% in a [35S]guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate binding assay) and NE reuptake inhibitor (Ki = 0.5 microM for synaptosomal reuptake inhibition). In vivo intracerebral microdialysis showed that tapentadol, in contrast to morphine, produces large increases in extracellular levels of NE (+450% at 10 mg/kg i.p.). Tapentadol exhibited analgesic effects in a wide range of animal models of acute and chronic pain [hot plate, tail-flick, writhing, Randall-Selitto, mustard oil colitis, chronic constriction injury (CCI), and spinal nerve ligation (SNL)], with ED50 values ranging from 8.2 to 13 mg/kg after i.p. administration in rats. Despite a 50-fold lower binding affinity to MOR, the analgesic potency of tapentadol was only two to three times lower than that of morphine, suggesting that the dual mode of action of tapentadol may result in an opiate-sparing effect. A role of NE in the analgesic efficacy of tapentadol was directly demonstrated in the SNL model, where the analgesic effect of tapentadol was strongly reduced by the alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine but only moderately attenuated by the MOR antagonist naloxone, whereas the opposite was seen for morphine. Tolerance development to the analgesic effect of tapentadol in the CCI model was twice as slow as that of morphine. It is suggested that the broad analgesic profile of tapentadol and its relative resistance to tolerance development may be due to a dual mode of action consisting of both MOR activation and NE reuptake inhibition.
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38
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Rahn EJ, Makriyannis A, Hohmann AG. Activation of cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors suppresses neuropathic nociception evoked by the chemotherapeutic agent vincristine in rats. Br J Pharmacol 2007; 152:765-77. [PMID: 17572696 PMCID: PMC2190028 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0707333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The ability of cannabinoids to suppress mechanical hypersensitivity (mechanical allodynia) induced by treatment with the chemotherapeutic agent vincristine was evaluated in rats. Sites of action were subsequently identified. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Mechanical hypersensitivity developed over the course of ten daily injections of vincristine relative to groups receiving saline at the same times. Effects of the CB1/CB2 receptor agonist WIN55,212-2, the receptor-inactive enantiomer WIN55,212-3, the CB2-selective agonist (R,S)-AM1241, the opiate agonist morphine and vehicle on chemotherapy-induced neuropathy were evaluated. WIN55,212-2 was administered intrathecally (i.t.) or locally in the hindpaw to identify sites of action. Pharmacological specificity was established using competitive antagonists for CB1 (SR141716) or CB2 receptors (SR144528). KEY RESULTS Systemic administration of WIN55,212-2, but not WIN55,212-3, suppressed vincristine-evoked mechanical allodynia. A leftward shift in the dose-response curve was observed following WIN55,212-2 relative to morphine treatment. The CB1 (SR141716) and CB2 (SR144528) antagonists blocked the anti-allodynic effects of WIN55,212-2. (R,S)-AM1241 suppressed vincristine-induced mechanical hypersensitivity through a CB2 mechanism. Both cannabinoid agonists suppressed vincristine-induced mechanical hypersensitivity without inducing catalepsy. Spinal sites of action are implicated in cannabinoid modulation of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. WIN55,212-2, but not WIN55,212-3, administered i.t. suppressed vincristine-evoked mechanical hypersensitivity at doses that were inactive following local hindpaw administration. Spinal coadministration of both the CB1 and CB2 antagonists blocked the anti-allodynic effects of WIN55,212-2. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Cannabinoids suppress the maintenance of vincristine-induced mechanical allodynia through activation of CB1 and CB2 receptors. These anti-allodynic effects are mediated, at least in part, at the level of the spinal cord.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Benzoxazines/pharmacology
- Body Weight/drug effects
- Camphanes/pharmacology
- Cannabinoids/pharmacology
- Catalepsy/chemically induced
- Catalepsy/prevention & control
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Hindlimb
- Hyperesthesia/chemically induced
- Hyperesthesia/prevention & control
- Injections, Intraperitoneal
- Injections, Spinal
- Male
- Morphine/pharmacology
- Morpholines/pharmacology
- Naphthalenes/pharmacology
- Neuralgia/chemically induced
- Neuralgia/prevention & control
- Pain Measurement/instrumentation
- Pain Measurement/methods
- Pain Threshold/drug effects
- Physical Stimulation
- Piperidines/pharmacology
- Pyrazoles/pharmacology
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/agonists
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/physiology
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/agonists
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/physiology
- Rimonabant
- Thermosensing/physiology
- Vincristine/administration & dosage
- Vincristine/toxicity
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Affiliation(s)
- E J Rahn
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia Athens, GA, USA
| | - A Makriyannis
- Center for Drug Discovery, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University Boston, MA, USA
| | - A G Hohmann
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia Athens, GA, USA
- Author for correspondence:
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39
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Cox ML, Haller VL, Welch SP. The antinociceptive effect of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in the arthritic rat involves the CB(2) cannabinoid receptor. Eur J Pharmacol 2007; 570:50-6. [PMID: 17588560 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2007.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2006] [Revised: 05/10/2007] [Accepted: 05/15/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Cannabinoid CB(2) receptors have been implicated in antinociception in animal models of both acute and chronic pain. We evaluated the role both cannabinoid CB(1) and CB(2) receptors in mechanonociception in non-arthritic and arthritic rats. The antinociceptive effect of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)THC) was determined in rats following administration of the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor-selective antagonist, SR141716A, the cannabinoid CB(2) receptor-selective antagonist, SR144528, or vehicle. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were rendered arthritic using Freund's complete adjuvant and tested for mechanical hyperalgesia in the paw-pressure test. Arthritic rats had a baseline paw-pressure of 83 +/- 3.6 g versus a paw-pressure of 177 +/- 6.42 g in non-arthritic rats. SR144528 or SR141716A (various doses mg/kg; i.p.) or 1:1:18 (ethanol:emulphor:saline) vehicle were injected 1 h prior to Delta(9)THC (4 mg/kg; i.p) or 1:1:18 vehicle and antinociception determined 30min post Delta(9)THC. AD(50)'s for both antagonists were calculated with 95% confidence limits. In addition, midbrain and spinal cord were removed for determination of cannabinoid CB(1) and CB(2) receptor protein density in the rats. SR144528 significantly attenuated the antinociceptive effect of Delta(9)THC in the arthritic rats [AD(50) = 3.3 (2.7-4) mg/kg], but not in the non-arthritic rats at a dose of 10/mg/kg. SR141716A significantly attenuated Delta(9)THC-induced antinociception in both the non-arthritic [AD(50) = 1.4 (0.8-2) mg/kg] and arthritic rat [AD(50) = 2.6 (1.8-3.1) mg/kg]. SR141716A or SR144528 alone did not result in a hyperalgesic effect as compared to vehicle. Our results indicate that the cannabinoid CB(2) receptor plays a critical role in cannabinoid-mediated antinociception, particularly in models of chronic inflammatory pain.
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MESH Headings
- Analgesics/therapeutic use
- Animals
- Arthritis, Experimental/drug therapy
- Arthritis, Experimental/metabolism
- Camphanes/pharmacology
- Dronabinol/therapeutic use
- Male
- Mesencephalon/drug effects
- Mesencephalon/metabolism
- Pain/drug therapy
- Pain/metabolism
- Piperidines/pharmacology
- Pyrazoles/pharmacology
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/agonists
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/agonists
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/metabolism
- Rimonabant
- Spinal Cord/drug effects
- Spinal Cord/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda L Cox
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0524, USA
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40
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Lever IJ, Pheby TM, Rice ASC. Continuous infusion of the cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 to the site of a peripheral nerve injury reduces mechanical and cold hypersensitivity. Br J Pharmacol 2007; 151:292-302. [PMID: 17375083 PMCID: PMC2013951 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0707210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2006] [Revised: 01/23/2007] [Accepted: 01/25/2007] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cannabinoids have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties but their use is limited by psychotropic activity at CNS receptors. Restricting cannabinoid delivery to peripheral tissues at systemically inactive doses offers a potential solution to this problem. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH WIN 55,212-2 was continuously delivered to the site of a partial ligation injury to the sciatic nerve via a perineural catheter connected to a mini-osmotic pump implanted at the time of injury. Bilateral reflex limb withdrawal behaviour was measured in adult male Wistar rats in response to mechanical and cooling stimulation of the hind paw. KEY RESULTS Compared with vehicle treatment, WIN 55,212-2 (1.4 microg microl(-1) hr(-1)) reduced hypersensitivity to stimuli applied to the injured limb at 2, 4 and 6 days after injury. The effects of WIN 55,212-2 (0.6-2.8 microg microl(-1) hr(-1)) were dose-dependent. Estimated EC(50) values for reduction in mean responses to mechanical and cooling stimulation (day 4 post-surgery) were 1.55 (95% C.I, [1.11-2.16]) microg microl(-1) hr(-1) and 1.52 (95% C.I, [1.07-2.18]) microg microl(-1) hr(-1), respectively. When delivered to the contralateral side to injury, WIN 55,212-2 (1.4 or 2.8 microg microl(-1) hr(-1)) did not significantly affect nerve injury-associated hypersensitivity. Co-perineural application of a CB(1) receptor antagonist SR141716a and WIN 55,212-2 prevented the effects of WIN 55,212-2 on hypersensitivity. Co-application of CB(2) receptor antagonist SR144528 reversed WIN 55,212-2's effect on mechanical hypersensitivity on day 2 only. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These data support a peripheral antihyperalgesic effect of WIN 55,212-2 when delivered directly to the site of a nerve injury at systemically inactive doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- I J Lever
- Pain Research Group, Department of Anaesthetics, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus London, UK
| | - T M Pheby
- Pain Research Group, Department of Anaesthetics, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus London, UK
| | - A S C Rice
- Pain Research Group, Department of Anaesthetics, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus London, UK
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Hasanein P, Parviz M, Keshavarz M, Javanmardi K. CB1 RECEPTOR ACTIVATION IN THE BASOLATERAL AMYGDALA PRODUCES ANTINOCICEPTION IN ANIMAL MODELS OF ACUTE AND TONIC NOCICEPTION. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2007; 34:439-49. [PMID: 17439413 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2007.04592.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
1. Recent studies have suggested that the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) participates in the processing of pain information, especially noxious somatic information. Cannabinoid receptors or CB1 mRNA are expressed more in the BLA than in other nuclei of the amygdala. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine whether CB1 receptors in the BLA may be involved in modulating acute and/or tonic nociceptive processing. 2. Adult rats were exposed to intra-BLA microinjection of the cannabinoid receptor agonist (R)-(+)-[2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-(4-morpholinylmethyl) pyrrolo [1,2,3,-de]-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl]-1-naphthalenylmethanone mesylate [WIN 55,212-2 (1, 2.5, 5 or 10 microg/side)] and subjected to the tail flick and formalin tests. 3. The rats demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in latency to withdraw from a thermal noxious stimulus in the tail flick test and a decrease in formalin-induced pain behaviours. The antinociceptive effects of the CB1 receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 (10 microg/side) in both tests were attenuated in the presence of the selective CB1 receptor antagonist, N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-iodophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3- carboxamide (AM251; 0.55 ng/side). Administration of the CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 (0.55, 5.5, or 55.5 ng/side) alone did not alter the nociceptive thresholds in either test. Bilateral microinjection of the selective CB2 receptor antagonist N-[(1S)-endo-1,3,3-trimethyl bicyclo [2.2.1] heptan-2-yl]-5-(4-chloro-3-methylphenyl)-1-(4-methylbenzyl)-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (SR144528; 1 microg/side) had no effect on the antinociception produced by WIN 55,212-2, suggesting that the antinociceptive actions of WIN 55,212-2 are mediated by CB1 receptors. 4. The findings suggest the existence of a CB1-mediated inhibitory system in the BLA that, when activated, can diminish responsivity to acute and tonic noxious stimuli, but that normally has no tonic effect on the response threshold of these stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Hasanein
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran
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42
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Jhaveri MD, Richardson D, Kendall DA, Barrett DA, Chapman V. Analgesic effects of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition in a rat model of neuropathic pain. J Neurosci 2007; 26:13318-27. [PMID: 17182782 PMCID: PMC6674985 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3326-06.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid-based medicines have therapeutic potential for the treatment of pain. Augmentation of levels of endocannabinoids with inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is analgesic in models of acute and inflammatory pain states. The aim of this study was to determine whether local inhibition of FAAH alters nociceptive responses of spinal neurons in the spinal nerve ligation model of neuropathic pain. Electrophysiological studies were performed 14-18 d after spinal nerve ligation or sham surgery, and the effects of the FAAH inhibitor cyclohexylcarbamic acid 3-carbamoyl biphenyl-3-yl ester (URB597) on mechanically evoked responses of spinal neurons and levels of endocannabinoids were determined. Intraplantar URB597 (25 microg in 50 microl) significantly (p < 0.01) attenuated mechanically evoked responses of spinal neurons in sham-operated rats. Effects of URB597 were blocked by the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1) antagonist AM251 [N-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-(4-iodophenyl)-4-methyl-N-1-piperidinyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide] (30 microg in 50 microl) and the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone. URB597 treatment increased levels of anandamide, 2-arachidonyl glycerol, and oleoyl ethanolamide in the ipsilateral hindpaw of sham-operated rats. Intraplantar URB597 (25 microg in 50 microl) did not, however, alter mechanically evoked responses of spinal neurons in spinal nerve ligated (SNL) rats or hindpaw levels of endocannabinoids. Intraplantar injection of a higher dose of URB597 (100 microg in 50 microl) significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated evoked responses of spinal neurons in SNL rats but did not alter hindpaw levels of endocannabinoids. Spinal administration of URB597 attenuated evoked responses of spinal neurons and elevated levels of endocannabinoids in sham-operated and SNL rats. These data suggest that peripheral FAAH activity may be altered or that alternative pathways of metabolism have greater importance in SNL rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maulik D Jhaveri
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Medical School, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG7 2UH, United Kingdom.
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43
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Abstract
Convincing evidence from preclinical studies demonstrates that cannabinoids can reduce pain responses in a range of inflammatory and neuropathic pain models. The anatomical and functional data reveal cannabinoid receptor-mediated analgesic actions operating at sites concerned with the transmission and processing of nociceptive signals in brain, spinal cord and the periphery. The precise signalling mechanisms by which cannabinoids produce analgesic effects at these sites remain unclear; however, significant clues point to cannabinoid modulation of the functions of neurone and immune cells that mediate nociceptive and inflammatory responses. Intracellular signalling mechanisms engaged by cannabinoid receptors-like the inhibition of calcium transients and adenylate cyclase, and pre-synaptic modulation of transmitter release-have been demonstrated in some of these cell types and are predicted to play a role in the analgesic effects of cannabinoids. In contrast, the clinical effectiveness of cannabinoids as analgesics is less clear. Progress in this area requires the development of cannabinoids with a more favourable therapeutic index than those currently available for human use, and the testing of their efficacy and side-effects in high-quality clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- I J Lever
- Pain Research Group, Department of Anaesthetics, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9NH, UK
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44
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Abstract
Cannabinoids are antinociceptive in animal models of acute, tissue injury-, and nerve injury-induced nociception. This review examines the biology of endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) and behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuroanatomical evidence supporting the notion that cannabinoids play a role in pain modulation. Behavioral pharmacological approaches, in conjunction with the identification and quantification of endocannabinoids through the use of liquid and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, have provided insight into the functional roles of endocannabinoids in pain modulation. Here we examine the distribution of cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoid-hydrolyzing enzymes within pain modulatory circuits together with behavioral, neurochemical, and neurophysiological studies that suggest a role for endocannabinoid signaling in pain modulation. This review will provide a comprehensive evaluation of the roles of the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoylglycerol and anandamide in stress-induced analgesia. These findings provide a functional framework with which to understand the roles of endocannabinoids in nociceptive processing at the supraspinal level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G Hohmann
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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45
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Liu C, Walker JM. Effects of a cannabinoid agonist on spinal nociceptive neurons in a rodent model of neuropathic pain. J Neurophysiol 2006; 96:2984-94. [PMID: 16943316 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00498.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 on heat-evoked firing of spinal wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons were examined in a rodent model of neuropathic pain. Fifty-eight WDR neurons (1 cell/animal) were recorded from the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horns of rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI) and sham-operated controls. Relative to sham-operated controls, neurons recorded in CCI rats showed elevations in spontaneous firing, noxious heat-evoked responses, and afterdischarge firing as well as increases in receptive field size. WIN 55,212-2 (0.0625, 0.125, and 0.25 mg/kg, intravenous) dose-dependently suppressed heat-evoked activity and decreased the receptive field areas of dorsal horn WDR neurons in both nerve injured and control rats with a greater inhibition in CCI rats. At the dose of 0.125 mg/kg iv, WIN 55,212-2 reversed the hyperalgesia produced by nerve injury. The effect of intravenous administration of WIN 55,212-2 appears to be centrally mediated because administration of the drug directly to the ligated nerve did not suppress the heat-evoked neuronal activity in CCI rats. Pretreatment with the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonists SR141716A or AM251, but not the CB(2) antagonist SR144528, blocked the effects. These results provide a neural basis for reports of potent suppression by cannabinoids of the abnormal sensory responses that result from nerve injury.
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MESH Headings
- Analgesics/pharmacology
- Animals
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Behavior, Animal/physiology
- Benzoxazines
- Camphanes/pharmacology
- Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists
- Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Electrophysiology
- Hot Temperature
- Hyperalgesia/drug therapy
- Hyperalgesia/physiopathology
- Hyperalgesia/psychology
- In Vitro Techniques
- Morpholines/pharmacology
- Naphthalenes/pharmacology
- Neurons/drug effects
- Nociceptors/drug effects
- Pain/drug therapy
- Pain/etiology
- Pain/physiopathology
- Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/complications
- Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/physiopathology
- Piperidines/pharmacology
- Posterior Horn Cells/physiology
- Pyrazoles/pharmacology
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/agonists
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/drug effects
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/agonists
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/drug effects
- Rimonabant
- Spinal Cord/cytology
- Spinal Cord/drug effects
- Spinal Cord/physiopathology
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Liu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-7007, USA.
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Maione S, Starowicz K, Palazzo E, Rossi F, Di Marzo V. The endocannabinoid and endovanilloid systems and their interactions in neuropathic pain. Drug Dev Res 2006. [DOI: 10.1002/ddr.20098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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47
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Castañé A, Célérier E, Martín M, Ledent C, Parmentier M, Maldonado R, Valverde O. Development and expression of neuropathic pain in CB1 knockout mice. Neuropharmacology 2006; 50:111-22. [PMID: 16169563 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2005.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2005] [Revised: 07/29/2005] [Accepted: 07/29/2005] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a clinical manifestation characterized by the presence of spontaneous pain, allodynia and hyperalgesia. Here, we have evaluated the involvement of CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the development and expression of neuropathic pain. For this purpose, partial ligation of the sciatic nerve was performed in CB1 cannabinoid receptor knockout mice and their wild-type littermates. The development of mechanical and thermal allodynia, and thermal hyperalgesia was evaluated by using the von Frey filaments, cold-plate and plantar tests, respectively. Pre-surgical tactile and thermal withdrawal thresholds were similar in both genotypes. In wild-type mice, sciatic nerve injury led to a neuropathic pain syndrome characterized by a marked and long-lasting reduction of the paw withdrawal thresholds to mechanical and thermal stimuli. These manifestations developed similarly in mice lacking CB1 cannabinoid receptors. We have also investigated the consequences of gabapentin administration in these animals. Gabapentin (50 mg/kg/day, i.p.) induced a similar suppression of mechanical and thermal allodynia in both wild-type and CB1 knockout mice. Mild differences between genotypes were observed concerning the effect of gabapentin in the expression of thermal hyperalgesia. Taken together, our results indicate that CB1 cannabinoid receptors are not critically implicated in the development of neuropathic pain nor in the anti-allodynic and anti-hyperalgesic effects of gabapentin in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Castañé
- Laboratori de Neurofarmacologia, Facultat de Ciències de la Salut i de la Vida, Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
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48
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Abstract
A large body of literature indicates that cannabinoids suppress behavioral responses to acute and persistent noxious stimulation in animals. This review examines neuroanatomical, behavioral, and neurophysiological evidence supporting a role for cannabinoids in suppressing pain at spinal, supraspinal, and peripheral levels. Localization studies employing receptor binding and quantitative autoradiography, immunocytochemistry, and in situ hybridization are reviewed to examine the distribution of cannabinoid receptors at these levels and provide a neuroanatomical framework with which to understand the roles of endogenous cannabinoids in sensory processing. Pharmacological and transgenic approaches that have been used to study cannabinoid antinociceptive mechanisms are described. These studies provide insight into the functional roles of cannabinoid CB1 (CB1R) and CB2 (CB2R) receptor subtypes in cannabinoid antinociceptive mechanisms, as revealed in animal models of acute and persistent pain. The role of endocannabinoids and related fatty acid amides that are implicated in endogenous mechanisms for pain suppression are discussed. Human studies evaluating therapeutic potential of cannabinoid pharmacotherapies in experimental and clinical pain syndromes are evaluated. The potential of exploiting cannabinoid antinociceptive mechanisms in novel pharmacotherapies for pain is discussed.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators/physiology
- Cannabinoids/pharmacology
- Cannabinoids/therapeutic use
- Humans
- Hyperalgesia/physiopathology
- Nociceptors/physiology
- Pain/drug therapy
- Pain/physiopathology
- RNA, Messenger/analysis
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/analysis
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/drug effects
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/physiology
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/drug effects
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/physiology
- Spinal Cord/drug effects
- Spinal Cord/physiology
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Walker
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47405-7007, USA
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49
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Valverde O, Karsak M, Zimmer A. Analysis of the endocannabinoid system by using CB1 cannabinoid receptor knockout mice. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2005:117-45. [PMID: 16596773 DOI: 10.1007/3-540-26573-2_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system has been involved in the control of several neurophysiological and behavioural responses. To date, three lines of CB1 knockout mice have been established independently in different laboratories. This chapter reviews the main results obtained with these lines of CB1 knockout mice in several physiological responses that have been previously related to the activity of the endocannabinoid system. Studies using CB1 knockout mice have demonstrated that this receptor participates in the control of several behavioural responses including locomotion, anxiety- and depressive-like states, cognitive functions such as memory and learning processes, cardiovascular responses and feeding. Furthermore, the CB1 cannabinoid receptor is involved in the control of pain by acting at peripheral, spinal and supraspinal levels. The involvement of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor in the behavioural and biochemical processes underlying drug addiction has also been investigated. These CB1 knockouts have provided new findings to clarify the interactions between cannabinoids and the other drugs of abuse such as opioids, psychostimulants, nicotine and ethanol. Recent studies have demonstrated that endocannabinoids can function as retrograde messengers, modulating the release of different neurotransmitters, including opioids, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and cholecystokinin (CCK), which could explain some of the responses observed after the stimulation of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor. This review provides an update of the apparently controversial data reported in the literature using the three different lines of CB1 knockout mice, which seem to be mainly due to the use of different experimental procedures rather than any constitutive alteration in these lines of knockouts.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Valverde
- Laboratori de Neurofarmacologia, Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Carrer Dr. Aiguader, 80, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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50
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Viganò D, Rubino T, Vaccani A, Bianchessi S, Marmorato P, Castiglioni C, Parolaro D. Molecular mechanisms involved in the asymmetric interaction between cannabinoid and opioid systems. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2005; 182:527-36. [PMID: 16079992 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-005-0114-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2005] [Accepted: 06/22/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this work was to study the mechanism of cross-modulation between cannabinoid and opioid systems for analgesia during acute and chronic exposure. Acute coadministration of ineffectual subanalgesic doses of the synthetic cannabinoid CP-55,940 (0.2 mg/kg i.p.) and morphine (2.5 mg/kg i.p.) resulted in significant antinociception. In chronic studies, a low dose of CP-55,940 (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) that per se did not induce analgesia in naive animals produced a significant degree of antinociception in rats made tolerant to morphine, whereas in rats made tolerant to CP-55,940, morphine challenge did not produce any analgesic response. To identify the mechanism of these asymmetric interactions during chronic treatment, we investigated the functional activity of cannabinoid and mu opioid receptors and their effects on the cyclic AMP (cAMP) cascade. Autoradiographic-binding studies indicated a slight but significant reduction in cannabinoid receptor levels in the hippocampus and cerebellum of morphine-tolerant rats, whereas CP-55,940-stimulated [35S]GTPgammaS binding showed a significant decrease in receptor/G protein coupling in the limbic area. In CP-55,940 exposed rats, mu opioid receptor binding was significantly raised in the lateral thalamus and periaqueductal gray (PAG), with an increase in DAMGO-stimulated [35S]GTPgammaS binding in the nucleus accumbens. Finally, we tested the cAMP system's responsiveness to the cannabinoid and opioid in the striatum and dorsal mesencephalon. In vivo chronic morphine did not affect CP-55,940's ability to inhibit forskolin-stimulated cAMP production in vitro and actually induced sensitization in striatal membranes. In contrast, in vivo chronic CP-55,940 desensitized DAMGO's efficacy in inhibiting forskolin-stimulated cAMP production in vitro. The alterations to the cAMP system seem to mirror the behavioral responses, indicating that the two systems may interact at the postreceptor level. This might open up new therapeutic opportunities for relief of chronic pain through cannabinoid-opioid coadministration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Viganò
- DBSF, Pharmacology Section and Neuroscience Center, University of Insubria, via A. da Giussano 10, 21052, Busto Arsizio, VA, Italy
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