Cannabidiol enhances anandamide signaling and alleviates psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia
Research Subject: Mental Illness
Author: FM Leweke, D Piomelli, F Pahlisch et al.
Publish Date: 2012
Cannabidiol is a component of marijuana that does not activate cannabinoid receptors, but moderately inhibits the degradation of the endocannabinoid anandamide. We previously reported that an elevation of anandamide levels in cerebrospinal fluid inversely correlated to psychotic symptoms. Furthermore, enhanced anandamide signaling let to a lower transition rate from initial prodromal states into frank psychosis as well as postponed transition. In our translational approach, we performed a double-blind, randomized clinical trial of cannabidiol vs amisulpride, a potent antipsychotic, in acute schizophrenia to evaluate the clinical relevance of our initial findings. Either treatment was safe and led to significant clinical improvement, but cannabidiol displayed a markedly superior side effect profile. Moreover, cannabidiol treatment was accompanied by a significant increase in serum anandamide levels, which was significantly associated with clinical improvement. The results suggest that inhibition of anandamide deactivation may contribute to the antipsychotic effects of cannabidiol potentially representing a completely new mechanism in the treatment of schizophrenia.
Download PDF
Other Research
-
Research
Cannabidiol reverses the mCPP-induced increase in marble-burying behavior
Cannabidiol (CBD), one of the main components of Cannabis sp., presents clinical and preclinical anx…
-
Research
Cannabidiol reverses MK-801-induced disruption of prepulse inhibition in mice
Cannabidiol, a nonpsychoactive constituent of the Cannabis sativa plant, has been reported to act as…
-
Research
Cannabidiol Rescues Acute Hepatic Toxicity and Seizure Induced by Cocaine
Cocaine is a commonly abused illicit drug that causes significant morbidity and mortality. The most …
-
Research
Cannabidiol Reduces Intestinal Inflammation through the Control of Neuroimmune Axis
Enteric glial cells (EGC) actively mediate acute and chronic inflammation in the gut; EGC proliferat…
-
Research
Cannabidiol inhibits pathogenic T cells, decreases spinal microglial activation and ameliorates multiple sclerosis-like disease in C57BL/6 mice
Cannabis extracts and several cannabinoids have been shown to exert broad antiinflammatory activitie…