Archive for the ‘Hepatitis’ Category
Emerging role of cannabinoids in gastrointestinal and liver diseases: basic and clinical aspects
A multitude of physiological effects and putative pathophysiological roles have been proposed for the endogenous cannabinoid system in the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas. These range from effects on epithelial growth and regeneration, immune function, motor function, appetite control, fibrogenesis and secretion. Cannabinoids have the potential for therapeutic application in gut and liver diseases. Two exciting therapeutic applications in the area of reversing hepatic fibrosis as well as antineoplastic effects may have a significant impact in these diseases. This review critically appraises the experimental and clinical evidence supporting the clinical application of cannabinoid receptor-based drugs in gastrointestinal, liver and pancreatic diseases. Application of modern pharmacological principles will most probably expand the selective modulation of the cannabinoid system peripherally in humans. We anticipate that, in addition to the approval in several countries of the CB1 antagonist, rimonabant, for the treatment of obesity and associated metabolic dysfunctions, other cannabinoid modulators are likely to have an impact on human disease in the future, including hepatic fibrosis and neoplasia.
Chapter 19 Use of Cannabinoids as a Novel Therapeutic Modality Against Autoimmune Hepatitis
Autoimmune hepatitis is a severe immune mediated chronic liver disease with a prevalence range between 50 and 200 cases per million in Western Europe and North America and mortality rates of up to 80% in untreated patients. The induction of CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors during liver injury and the potential involvement of endocannabinoids in the regulation of this process have sparked significant interest in further evaluating the role of cannabinoid systems during hepatic disease. Cannabinoids have been shown to possess significant immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. Cannabinoid abuse has been shown to exacerbate liver fibrogenesis in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection involving CB1 receptor. Nonetheless, CB2 receptor activation may play a protective role during chronic liver diseases. Thus, differential targeting of cannabinoid receptors may provide novel therapeutic modality against autoimmune hepatitis. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the role of endocannabinoids and exocannabinoids in the regulation of autoimmune hepatitis.
Hepatitis
Josh Richman, The Oakland Tribune, 14th September 2006
| Medical marijuana users are more likely to finish Hepatitis C treatment and so are more likely to be cured, according to a newly published study conducted in San Francisco and Oakland.
Other studies have shown marijuana relieves symptoms, but medical marijuana advocates said this could be the first to show improved cure rates for a life-threatening illness. The study � authored by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and the Oakland-based Organization to Achieve Solutions in Substance Abuse (OASIS), and published in the European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology � found marijuana users being treated for HCV were three times more likely to have a “sustained virological response,” meaning the virus can’t be detected six months after treatment ends. HCV treatment with ribavirin and interferon causes severe side effects such as nausea, vomiting, weight loss, sleeplessness and depression, causing many patients to quit the long regimen too early. Of 71 HCV patients studied, 21 finished with a sustained virological response: 12 of the 22 cannabis users and nine of the 49 non-users. “Modest cannabis use may offer symptomatic and virological benefit to some patients…by helping them maintain adherence to the challenging medication regimen,” the study concluded. Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., issued a news release touting this as “a landmark study, showing that medical marijuana can literally save lives. Every day that our government continues punishing the sick for using this medicine is literally a crime against humanity.” |
