Browsing by Subject "CBD"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Cannabidiol (CBD) Consumption and Perceived Impact on Extrahepatic Symptoms in Patients with Autoimmune Hepatitis
    (Springer, 2019-07-30) Mathur, Karan; Vuppalanchi, Vahin; Gelow, Kayla; Vuppalanchi, Raj; Lammert, Craig; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background and Aims Utilization and safety of cannabidiol (CBD) in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) are currently unknown. We aimed to identify the frequency of CBD use, impact on symptoms, and safety profile. Methods An invitation to complete a CBD-specific questionnaire was posted every other day to well-established autoimmune hepatitis Facebook communities (combined membership of 2600 individuals) during a 10-day study period. Age ≥ 18 years and an AIH diagnosis by a physician were the eligibility criteria for participation in the survey. Results In total, 371 AIH patients (median age 49 years, 32% reported advanced fibrosis) completed the questionnaire. Respondents were 91% women, 89% Caucasian, and 89% from North America. Ninety-three (25%) respondents were ever CBD users, with 55 of them (15% of the survey responders) identified as current users. Among ever users, 45.7% reported their treating doctors were aware of their CBD use. The most common reason cited for CBD use was pain (68%), poor sleep (62%), and fatigue (38%). Most respondents using CBD for these symptoms reported a significant improvement in pain (82%), sleep (87%), and fatigue (61%). In ever CBD users, 17.3% were able to stop a prescription medication because of CBD use: pain medication (47%), immunosuppression (24%), and sleep aids (12%). Side effects attributed to CBD use were reported in 3% of CBD users, yet there were no reported emergency department visits or hospitalizations. Conclusion CBD use was not uncommon in patients with AIH, and its use was associated with reports of improvement in extrahepatic symptoms.
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    Differential Inhibition of Human Nav1.2 Resurgent and Persistent Sodium Currents by Cannabidiol and GS967
    (MDPI, 2020-04) Mason, Emily R.; Cummins, Theodore R.; Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine
    Many epilepsy patients are refractory to conventional antiepileptic drugs. Resurgent and persistent currents can be enhanced by epilepsy mutations in the Nav1.2 channel, but conventional antiepileptic drugs inhibit normal transient currents through these channels, along with aberrant resurgent and persistent currents that are enhanced by Nav1.2 epilepsy mutations. Pharmacotherapies that specifically target aberrant resurgent and/or persistent currents would likely have fewer unwanted side effects and be effective in many patients with refractory epilepsy. This study investigated the effects of cannbidiol (CBD) and GS967 (each at 1 μM) on transient, resurgent, and persistent currents in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells stably expressing wild-type hNav1.2 channels. We found that CBD preferentially inhibits resurgent currents over transient currents in this paradigm; and that GS967 preferentially inhibits persistent currents over transient currents. Therefore, CBD and GS967 may represent a new class of more targeted and effective antiepileptic drugs.
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    Marijuana and Opioid Use during Pregnancy: Using Zebrafish to Gain Understanding of Congenital Anomalies Caused by Drug Exposure during Development
    (MDPI, 2020-08-08) Sarmah, Swapnalee; Sales Cadena, Marilia Ribeiro; Cadena, Pabyton Gonçalves; Marrs, James A.; Biology, School of Science
    Marijuana and opioid addictions have increased alarmingly in recent decades, especially in the United States, posing threats to society. When the drug user is a pregnant mother, there is a serious risk to the developing baby. Congenital anomalies are associated with prenatal exposure to marijuana and opioids. Here, we summarize the current data on the prevalence of marijuana and opioid use among the people of the United States, particularly pregnant mothers. We also summarize the current zebrafish studies used to model and understand the effects of these drug exposures during development and to understand the behavioral changes after exposure. Zebrafish experiments recapitulate the drug effects seen in human addicts and the birth defects seen in human babies prenatally exposed to marijuana and opioids. Zebrafish show great potential as an easy and inexpensive model for screening compounds for their ability to mitigate the drug effects, which could lead to new therapeutics.