Receptors and molecular mechanisms

CBD binds to CB1 and CB2 (Petitet, Jeantaud, Reibaud, Imperato, & Dubroeucq, 1998)

CBN modulates TRPA-1, TRPV-2, TRPV-3 and TRPV-4 (De Petrocellis et al., 2012; De Petrocellis et al., 2011; Qin et al., 2008)

CBN binds also to TRPA1 and TRPM8 (Morales, Hurst, & Reggio, 2017)

CBN has anti-bacterial properties against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (Appendino et al., 2008)

CBN inhibits CYP1 enzymes (Yamaori, Kushihara, Yamamoto, & Watanabe, 2010)

CBN reduces plasma-luteinizing hormone (LH) and T levels and median eminence NE turnover (Steger, Murphy, Bartke, & Smith, 1990)

CBN potentiates the THC-induced suppression of luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in rats (Murphy, Steger, Smith, & Bartke, 1990)

CBN, THC and CBD inhibit the binding of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) to the amygdala (Bhargava & Gulati, 1988)

ALS

CBN delays the onset of myotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a transgenic mouse model of ALS (Weydt et al., 2005)

cancer

Some cannabinoids, including CBN, inhibit ABCC1 and ABCG2 proteins, which have a relevant role for the treatment of cancer (Holland, Lau, Allen, & Arnold, 2007; Michelle L. Holland, Allen, & Arnold, 2008)

CBN, as well as THC, modulates T cells activity, which have an important role in the immune system by controlling inflammatory processes (Herring & Kaminski, 1999; Herring, Koh, & Kaminski, 1998; Jan, Rao, & Kaminski, 2002; Rao & Kaminski, 2006). This modulation could have therapeutic potential in, for example, allergic airway diseases (Jan, Farraj, Harkema, & Kaminski, 2003). These two cannabinoids affect cell proliferation pathways which are related to the immunosuppressive and anti-tumorigenic properties of cannabinoids (Faubert & Kaminski, 2000; Faubert Kaplan & Kaminski, 2003; Herring, Faubert Kaplan, & Kaminski, 2001; Upham et al., 2003)

CBN and THC inhibits Lewis lung adenocarcinoma growth in animals in a dose-dependent manner (Munson, Harris, Friedman, Dewey, & Carchman, 1975)

epilepsy

In a mouse model of epilepsy (Maximal Electro Shock), the following cannabinoids were found to be anti-convulsive (ED50)(Devinsky et al., 2014): CBD 120 mg/kg Δ9THC 100 mg/kg 11-OH-Δ9THC 14 mg/kg 8β-OH-Δ9THC 100 mg/kg Δ9THCA 200-400 mg/kg Δ8THC 80 mg/kg CBN 230 mg/kg Δ9α/β-OH-hexahydro-CBN 100 mg/kg Apart from that the doses reported above are incredibly high, it does provide a proof of principle that many cannabinoids exert anti-convulsive effects

Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopaty

CBN causes hypothermia in doses from 10 to 30 mg/kg (Hiltunen, Järbe, & Wängdahl, 1988).  

obesity

CBN stimulates appetite and increases feeding through CB1 receptor activation (Farrimond, Whalley, & Williams, 2012)

pain

CBN produces anti-nociceptive and analgesic properties with low or none psychoactive effects and it can increase THC anti-nociceptive and psychoactive effects (Booker, Naidu, Razdan, Mahadevan, & Lichtman, 2009; Karniol, Shirakawa, Takahashi, Knobel, & Musty, 1975; Sanders, Jackson, & Starmer, 1979; Sofia, Vassar, & Knobloch, 1975). CBN and CBD inhibit catalepsy induced by THC (Formukong, Evans, & Evans, 1988)

Psoriasis

THC, CBD, CBN and CBG were found to inhibit human keratinocyte (skin cell) proliferation suggesting therapeutic potential in Psoriasis (Wilkinson and Williamson, 2007).

References

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