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Cannabinoids, Endocannabinoids, and Related Analogs in Inflammation

  • NIDA Symposium: Drugs of Abuse: Drug Development and Cannabinoids
  • Published:
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Abstract

This review covers reports published in the last 5 years on the anti-inflammatory activities of all classes of cannabinoids, including phytocannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, synthetic analogs such as ajulemic acid and nabilone, the endogenous cannabinoids anandamide and related compounds, namely, the elmiric acids, and finally, noncannabinoid components of Cannabis that show anti-inflammatory action. It is intended to be an update on the topic of the involvement of cannabinoids in the process of inflammation. A possible mechanism for these actions is suggested involving increased production of eicosanoids that promote the resolution of inflammation. This differentiates these cannabinoids from cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors that suppress the synthesis of eicosanoids that promote the induction of the inflammatory process.

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Abbreviations

AJA:

ajulemic acid

AG:

arachidonoyl glycerol

CBCr:

cannabichromene

CBD:

cannabidiol

CBN:

cannabinol

EC:

endocannabinoid

EMA:

elmiric acid

FAAH:

fatty acid amidohydrolase

PEA:

palmitoyl ethanolamide

THC:

tetrahydrocannabinol

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Acknowledgments

This publication was made possible by grants DA17969, DA13691, and AI 056362 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Burstein, S.H., Zurier, R.B. Cannabinoids, Endocannabinoids, and Related Analogs in Inflammation. AAPS J 11, 109–119 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1208/s12248-009-9084-5

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