cannabidiol and Asthma

Topics: Analgesics; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Asthma; Humans; Ion Channel Gating; Neurons; Pain; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Transient Receptor Potential Channels

Recent work aimed at the introduction of natural and synthetic cannabinoids as drugs is reviewed. Delta1-Tetrahydrocannabinol (delta1-THC) is mainly investigated as a potential drug against glaucoma and asthma, and as an antiemetic agent in cancer chemotherapy. Cannabidiol is being tried in the clinic against epilepsy and as a hypnotic. Numerous synthetic cannabinoids are currently being investigated as analgetics and as sedative-relaxants.

Topics: Analgesics; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antiemetics; Asthma; Cannabidiol; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Dronabinol; Epilepsy; Glaucoma; History, Ancient; History, Medieval; History, Modern 1601-; Humans; Hypertension; Medicine, Arabic; Medicine, East Asian Traditional; Phytotherapy; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Structure-Activity Relationship

Cannabis use in patients with allergy/asthma, a high-risk group for adverse effects to cannabis, is unknown.. To determine the patterns of use and attitudes toward cannabis in patients with allergy/asthma.. An anonymous online survey on cannabis attitudes and use was conducted through the Adult Allergy & Asthma Network. The Asthma Control Test assessed asthma burden. Cluster analyses determined group phenotypes and factor analyses condensed cannabis subjective effects into similar response patterns.. A total of 88 of 489 respondents (18.0%) currently use cannabis with most at the age of less than 50 years old, of female sex, and of White race. Of the noncannabis users (N = 401), 2.5% reported cannabis allergy. Cluster analysis revealed that a liberal attitude toward cannabis was associated with current cannabis use (P < .001). Among current cannabis users, 40.9% of their physicians inquired on cannabis use; only 37.5% of users wanted to discuss cannabis. In addition, 65.9% used cannabis for medical or medical/recreational purposes. Cannabinoids used were tetrahydrocannabinol (33.0%), cannabidiol (19.3%), or both (47.7%). Smoked and vaped cannabis were reported by 53.4% and 35.2%, respectively. Furthermore, 51 cannabis users (58.0%) reported current asthma with 39.2% uncontrolled; of these, 50% smoked cannabis. Compared with current participants with asthma not using cannabis, those currently using cannabis experienced similar levels of asthma control, quality of life, and frequency of asthma exacerbations. Positive effects were endorsed more than negative effects to cannabis (P < .001). Moreover, 19.3% of cannabis users reported coughing that was associated with smoking cannabis (P < .001).. Cannabis was used by less than 20% of the respondents with positive effects more frequent than negative effects. Half of cannabis users with uncontrolled asthma smoke cannabis, but only a minority of the physicians inquire about its use.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Asthma; Attitude; Cannabidiol; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Dronabinol; Female; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Male; Marijuana Smoking; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult

Asthma represents a public health problem and traditionally is classified as an atopic disease, where the allergen can induce clinical airway inflammation, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and reversible obstruction of airways. Studies have demonstrated the presence of T-helper 2 lymphocytes in the lung of patients with asthma. These cells are involved in cytokine production that regulates immunoglobulin synthesis. Recognizing that T cell interaction with antigens/allergens is key to the development of inflammatory diseases, the aim of this study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of cannabidiol (CBD) in this setting. Asthma was induced in 8-week-old Wistar rats by ovalbumin (OVA). In the last 2 days of OVA challenge animals received CBD (5 mg/kg, i.p.) and were killed 24 hours after. The levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α were determinate in the serum. CBD treatment was able to decrease the serum levels of all analyzed cytokines except for IL-10 levels. CBD seems to be a potential new drug to modulate inflammatory response in asthma.

Topics: Animals; Asthma; Cannabidiol; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Male; Ovalbumin; Rats; Rats, Wistar