ABSTRACT: The recent identification of cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous lipid ligands has triggered an exponential growth of studies exploring the endocannabinoid system and its regulatory functions in health and disease. Such studies have been greatly facilitated by the introduction of selective cannabinoid receptor antagonists and inhibitors of endocannabinoid ... Continue Reading
hypertension
STUDY: Endocannabinoid system in cardiovascular disorders – new pharmacotherapeutic opportunities
ABSTRACT: The long history of Cannabis sativa had its development stimulated and oriented for medicine after the discovery and chemical characterization of its main active ingredient, the 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (9-THC). Consequently, a binding site for 9-THC was identified in rat brains and the first cannabinoid receptor (CB1) was cloned, followed by the CB2 and by the ... Continue Reading
STUDY: An exploration of the potential mechanisms and translational potential of five medicinal plants for applications in Alzheimer’s disease
ABSTRACT: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, and represents a vast worldwide socio-economic burden, and in the absence of a current cure, effective therapeutic strategies are still needed. Cholinergic and cerebral blood flow deficits, excessive levels of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and glutamate excitatory mechanisms are all believed to ... Continue Reading
STUDY: Hypotension – The Novel Endocannabinoid Receptor GPR18 Is Expressed in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla and Exerts Tonic Restraining Influence on Blood Pressure
ABSTRACT: Systemic administration of the G-protein–coupled receptor 18 (GPR18) agonist abnormal cannabidiol (Abn CBD) lowers blood pressure (BP). Whether GPR18 is expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and plays a role in BP control is not known despite the abundance of the GPR18 ligand N-arachidonoyl glycine (NAGly) in the CNS. Therefore, we first determined whether ... Continue Reading