Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: ADRIANA FREIRE LAMARTINE

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ADRIANA FREIRE LAMARTINE
DATE: 01/04/2024
TIME: 15:50
LOCAL: AUDITÓRIO DO NSTITUTO DO CEREBRO
TITLE:

Exploring the pharmacological potential of the phytocannabinoid metabolic pathway: the role of cannabigerol and cannabinol in acute seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol

KEY WORDS:

Phytocannabinoid; cannabigerol; cannabinol; epilepsy; pentylenetetrazol;

PAGES: 30
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Fisiologia
SUMMARY:

Phytocannabinoids are secondary metabolites produced by plants of the Cannabis sp., and some pre-clinical and clinical trials have shown that these compounds modulate cellular excitability, as well as being used as anti-crisis drugs in difficult-to-control epilepsies. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the two most studied compounds in this class, probably because they are in greater relative concentration in Cannabis sp. plants, and also because of the remarkable anti-crisis activity of CBD and psychotropic action of THC. The degradation of THC and CBD generates cannabinol (CBN, ~3% of the full spectrum extract), while the precursor compound of THC and CBD is cannabigerol (CBG, less than 1%). Both CBG and CBN are part of the phytocannabinoid metabolic pathway, interact with different molecular targets and have little pharmacological potential, since their effects on modulating neuronal hyperexcitability have not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, the anti-crisis effect of CBN and CBG was tested in an acute seizure model chemically induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) in mice (CEUA/UFRN - 043/2022). Behavioral analysis of the videos showed that seizures are expressed as spasms, myoclonic jerks and can evolve into generalized seizures. Treatment with CBN and CBG (doses: 3, 30 and 300 mg/kg i.p.) did not modify PTZ-induced ictal behaviors. Statistical comparisons between the vehicle/negative control and experimental (CBN or CBG) groups showed no significant differences, which is probably due to the high variability between animals in the same group. However, the behavioral analysis suggests that the low dose of CBN and CBG favored the expression of seizures (Vehicle: 0/5, CBN 3mg/kg : 2/4 CBN 30mg/kg: 1/3, CBN 300mg/kg: 1/6, CBG 3mg/kg: 2/3, CBG 30mg/kg: 2/4, CBG 300mg/kg: 3/7, animals with seizure/total number of animals). The anti-crisis drug diazepam (5 mg/kg, i.p.), used as a positive control in this study, reduced the number of myoclonic spasms and tremors and none of the treated animals had generalized crises. In addition, treatment with CBN (300 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced the ambulation of the animals compared to the vehicle group, suggesting a psychotropic effect independent of the non-existence of an anti-crisis effect. This study contributes to the understanding of the behavioral effects of CBG and CBN in induced seizures, especially since these compounds are inserted at different points in the biosynthesis and degradation of classically studied phytocannabinoids - THC and CBD.

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