The active component of marijuana, Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, activates the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, thus mimicking the action of endogenous cannabinoids. CB1 is predominantly neuronal and mediates the cannabinoid psychotropic effects. CB2 is predominantly expressed in peripheral tissues, mainly in pathological conditions. So far the main endocannabinoids, anandamide and 2-arachid...

Enhanced intestinal transit due to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is reversed by cannabinoid (CB)2 receptor agonists in vivo, but the site and mechanism of action are unknown. We have tested the hypothesis that CB2 receptors are expressed in the enteric nervous system and are activated in pathophysiological conditions. Tissues from either saline- or LPS-treated (2 h; 65 microg/kg ip) rats were proces...

BACKGROUND Accumulation of activated eosinophils in tissue is a hallmark of allergic inflammation. The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) has been proposed to elicit eosinophil migration in a CB2 receptor/Gi/o -dependent manner. However, it has been claimed recently that this process may also involve other mechanisms such as cytokine priming and the metabolism of 2-AG into eicosanoid...

Background and Objective: It has been found that human periodontal ligament (hPDL) cells express cannabinoid receptor CB2. However, the functional importance of CB2 in hPDL cells exposed to bacterial endotoxins is not known. Here we investigate if the inflammation promoter lipopolysaccharide (LPS) affects CB2 expression and if activation of CB2 regulates LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine pr...

The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in Americans is 9% and increasing. Increased afferent vagal activation may predispose to OSA by reducing upper airway muscle activation/patency and disrupting respiratory rhythmogenesis. Vagal afferent neurons are inhibited by cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) or cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptors in animal models of vagally-mediated behaviors. Injections ...

The cannabinoid signaling system includes two G protein-coupled receptors, CB1 and CB2 These receptors are widely distributed throughout the body and have each been implicated in many physiologically important processes. Although the cannabinoid signaling system has therapeutic potential, the development of receptor-selective ligands remains a persistent hurdle. Because CB1 and CB2 are involved...

In human breast cancers, tumor infiltration by tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) correlates with multiple markers of poor prognosis: higher tumor macrophage counts are associated with higher tumor grade, higher tumor vascular density, and reduced overall survival [1]. TAMs secrete biologically active molecules that promote tumor growth and metastasis[1]. Additionally, unique subpopulations of...

In addition to their well known psychotrophic effects, the cannabinoids also display immunosuppressive and anti inflammatory properties including inhibition of T and B lymphocyte proliferation and inhibition of macrophage microbiocidal acitivity. Two subtypes of cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2 have been described [1,2]. While CB1, the central cannabinoid receptor, is predominantly found in t...

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons leading to motor disturbances and cognitive impairment. Current pharmacotherapies relieve PD symptoms temporarily but fail to prevent or slow down the disease progression. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which the non-selective cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55,21...