Marijuana-derived compound could be used to treat nausea in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.
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Linda Parker and colleagues observed a surge in levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the rat interoceptive insular cortex (IIC) -- a brain region responsible for nausea in humans -- following injection with the nauseating chemical compound lithium chloride. This increase in serotonin and subsequent gaping behavior (a behavior displayed by rodents to flavors paired with a nauseating treatments) was prevented by treatment with cannabidiol -- a form of cannabis that does not contain the component found in recreational marijuana responsible for the drug's psychotropic effects. Treatment with a drug that elevates the endogenous cannabinoid, 2-AG, also prevented the elevation of serotonin in the IIC by activating the cannabinoid type 1 receptor. These findings implicate the endocannabinoid system and IIC serotonin release in the sensation of nausea, opening up new therapeutic opportunities to explore in future research.
Source-Eurekalert