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International Assn. of Cannabis as Medicine Bullet, 2006-06-16 (Fri) THC reduces pain due to fibromyalgia in pilot study Excerpts:
IACM-Bulletin of 11 June 2006
* Science: THC reduces pain due to fibromyalgia in pilot study
1.
Science: THC reduces pain due to fibromyalgia in pilot study
The effect of oral THC was investigated in nine patients with
fibromyalgia in a study at the Department of Anaesthesiology
and Intensive Care Medicine of the University Hospital in
Mannheim. Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome of unknown
origin. In the four participants who completed the three-month
study pain was reduced by 67 per cent on average. All four
experienced a pain reduction by more than 50 per cent.
All pain medication was stopped 3 weeks prior to the
investigation. In the study, patients received a daily oral dose of
2.515 mg THC. Starting with 2.5 mg the dosage was increased
weekly by 2.5 mg THC, as long as no severe side effects were
reported. Once a week, 24 hours after the last THC medication
and a day before any dose increase, an electrical induced pain
was caused. Moreover, the pain intensity was daily recorded by
means of a numeric pain scale with the endpoints 0 (no pain) and
10 (maximum pain imaginable).
Five of the nine participants terminated the study before reaching
the maximum dose of 15 mg due to severe side effects, primarily
sedation, dizziness, fatigue or continuous tiredness. The
experimentally induced pain was significantly reduced by THC in
a dose of 10 and 15 mg. Daily recorded pain intensity was
reduced from 8.1 on average at the beginning of the study to 2.8
after three months.
(Source: Schley M, Legler A, Skopp G, Schmelz M, Konrad C,
Rukwied R. Delta-9-THC based monotherapy in fibromyalgia
patients on experimentally induced pain, axon reflex flare, and
pain relief. Curr Med Res Opin 2006;22(7):1269-1276
[electronic publication ahead of print])
2.
Science: Cannabidiol inhibits tumour growth in leukaemia and
breast cancer in animal studies
Italian researchers investigated the anti-tumour effects of five
natural cannabinoids of the cannabis plant (cannabidiol,
cannabigerol, cannabichromene, cannabidiol-acid and THC-
acid) in breast cancer. Cannabidiol (CBD) was the most potent
cannabinoid in inhibiting the growth of human breast cancer cells
that had been injected under the skin of mice. CBD also
reduced lung metastases deriving from human breast cancer cells
that had been injected into the paws of the animals.
Researchers found that the anti-tumour effects of CBD were
caused by induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death). They
concluded that their data "support the further testing of
cannabidiol and cannabidiol-rich extracts for the potential
treatment of cancer."
These observations are supported by investigations of US
scientists who found out that exposure of leukaemia cells to
CBD led to a reduction in cell viability and induction of
apoptosis. In living animals CBD caused a reduction in number
of leukaemia cells. The scientists noted that CBD "may be a
novel and highly selective treatment for leukemia."
(Sources: Ligresti A, Schiano Moriello A, Starowicz K, Matias
I, Pisanti S, De Petrocellis L, Laezza C, Portella G, Bifulco M,
Di Marzo V. Anti-tumor activity of plant cannabinoids with
emphasis on the effect of cannabidiol on human breast
carcinoma. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2006 May 25; [electronic
publication ahead of print]; McKallip RJ, Jia W, Schlomer J,
Warren JW, Nagarkatti PS, Nagarkatti M. Cannabidiol-induced
apoptosis in human leukemia cells: A novel role of cannabidiol in
the regulation of p22phox and Nox4 expression. Mol
Pharmacol. 2006 Jun 5; [electronic publication ahead of print])
[snip]
***Science: Psychosis
In an Australian study reasons for cannabis use by psychotic
patients were investigated by interviews with 49 people with
psychotic disorders. It was found that boredom, social motives,
improving sleep, anxiety and agitation and symptoms associated
with negative psychotic symptoms or depression were the most
important motivators of cannabis use, while positive symptoms
had no influence. Symptoms of psychosis may be classified as
positive (for instance delusions, hallucinatory behaviour and
grandiosity) or negative (for instance flat affect, and emotional or
social withdrawal). (Source: Schofield D, et al. Aust N Z J
Psychiatry 2006;40(6):570-4)
***Science: Water-soluble cannabinoids
Scientists of the Virginia Commonwealth University in the USA
synthesized new cannabinoids that are soluble in water and
therefore may be injected. (Source: Martin BR, et al. J
Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2006 Jun 6; [electronic publication ahead
of print])
International Association for Cannabis as Medicine (IACM)
Pubdate: Friday, June 16, 2006 © 2006 Internatinal Association of Cannabis as Medic |
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