humulene and Dilatation--Pathologic

Marijuana leaf vaporizers, which heat plant material and sublimate Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol without combustion, are popular alternatives to smoking cannabis that are generally perceived to be less harmful. We have shown that smoke from tobacco and marijuana, as well as aerosol from e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, impair vascular endothelial function in rats measured as arterial flow-mediated dilation (FMD).. We exposed 8 rats per group to aerosol generated by 2 vaporizer systems (Volcano and handheld Yocan) using marijuana with varying Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol levels, in a single pulsatile exposure session of 2 s/min over 5 minutes, and measured changes in FMD. To model secondhand exposure, we exposed rats for 1 minute to diluted aerosol approximating release of uninhaled Volcano aerosol into typical residential rooms. Exposure to aerosol from marijuana with and without cannabinoids impaired FMD by ≈50%. FMD was similarly impaired by aerosols from Yocan (237 °C), and from Volcano at both its standard temperature (185 °C) and the minimum sublimation temperature of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (157 °C), although the low-temperature aerosol condition did not effectively deliver Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol to the circulation. Modeled secondhand exposure based on diluted Volcano aerosol also impaired FMD. FMD was not affected in rats exposed to clean air or water vapor passed through the Volcano system.. Acute direct exposure and modeled secondhand exposure to marijuana leaf vaporizer aerosol, regardless of cannabinoid concentration or aerosol generation temperature, impair endothelial function in rats comparably to marijuana smoke. Our findings indicate that use of leaf vaporizers is unlikely to reduce the vascular risk burden of smoking marijuana.

Topics: Aerosols; Animals; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Dilatation, Pathologic; Dronabinol; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Marijuana Smoking; Nebulizers and Vaporizers; Nicotiana; Plant Leaves; Rats; Smoke

Computed tomographic changes compatible with cerebral atrophy have been observed clinically and in experimental drug abuse animals. Most of the patients were thought to be polydrug users, but amphetamines and alcohol were two of the more commonly misused drugs. In the experimental animals, the effects of amphetamine, secobarbital, and marijuana were studied. Brain damage was present in the animals that received intravenous amphetamine.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Atrophy; Brain; Cannabis; Cerebral Ventricles; Dilatation, Pathologic; Haplorhini; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Macaca mulatta; Male; Methamphetamine; Secobarbital; Substance-Related Disorders; Tomography, X-Ray Computed