Plus more studies from our new go-to scientific research resource
Some rats loved the 1980s, when scientists were feeding them Saturday Night Live-sized piles of blow and presumably sniffing themselves as they watched vermin attack one another like Florida men.
A lot of more laid-back rodent test subjects, however, prefer the present, as their various subspecies are busier than ever getting stoned and helping advance cannabinoid science.
This anecdotal revelation came via our recent perusal of Cannabinoids & the People, a top-notch weekly newsletter by Lex Pelger that aggregates new science on the subject and provides explainers, links, and more. We highly recommend signing up, but in the meantime, back to the rats …
Pelger’s latest installment highlights a study out of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy which shows “In rats, the oral bioavailability of CBD was superior when coming from a full-spectrum product versus isolate or broad spectrum.”
Meanwhile, across the globe, Pelger found a study from the Center of Excellence in Stroke, Thammasat University, Thailand that showed: “In rats, the anti-inflammatory effects of oral CBD were stronger than the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac.” Among the findings:
This study demonstrated that oral CBD could reduce cytokine and chemokine levels in rats treated with CBD at 40 mg/kg compared to either placebo or diclofenac (10 mg/kg) group. This finding is consistent with other research groups, revealing that CBD decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppresses immune responses by several mechanisms.
More from Pelger’s rat roundup below. You can sign up for his newsletter here.
- In older mice, microdoses of THC caused remarkable long-lasting improvements in cognitive functions, especially in the hippocampus (memory center). Hippocampal differential expression underlying the neuroprotective effect of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol microdose on old mice.
- Thesis project of the week: in a mouse model of social anxiety, CBD vapor improved their social interactions. Cannabidiol Administered via Vapor Inhalation Restores Social Interaction Deficits in a Mouse Model of Social Anxiety.
- In a rat model of endotoxemia (dead bacteria causing toxic inflammatory effects), THC protected the heart from inflammatory stress. Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol conserves cardiovascular functions in a rat model of endotoxemia: Involvement of endothelial molecular mechanisms and oxidative-nitrative stress.
