Posted on 12/27/2005 7:26:46 AM PST by billorites
Marijuana--or more specifically its active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol--has a well-documented tendency to stimulate hunger. And while scientists have traced this property to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, they have had little understanding of the neural circuitry underlying this effect.
Understanding this circuitry has important practical implications because blocking the cannabinoid receptor, CB1, offers a promising approach to treating obesity. One such compound, rimonabant (trade name AcompliaTM) is already undergoing clinical testing.
In an article in the December 22, 2005, issue of Neuron, Young-Hwan Jo and colleagues report how the circuitry of CB1 is integrated with signaling by the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin. The CB1 receptor is normally triggered by natural regulatory molecules, called endocannabinoids.
In their studies, the researchers concentrated on the lateral hypothalamus (LH) of the brain, known to be a center of control of food intake. Their studies involved detailed electrophysiological measurements of the effects of specific neurons that they had identified in previous studies as being important in endocannabinoid signaling.
Their studies revealed that activation of CB1 receptors, as by endocannabinoid molecules, induced these neurons to be rendered more excitable by a mechanism called "depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition" (DSI).
What's more, they found that leptin inhibits DSI. However, they found that leptin did not interfere with the CB1 receptors themselves. Rather, leptin "short-circuits" the endocannabinoid effects by inhibiting pore-like channels in the neurons that regulate the flow of calcium into the neurons. Such calcium is necessary for the synthesis of endocannabinoids.
In further studies of mice genetically altered to be leptin deficient, the researchers found the DSI to be more prolonged than in normal mice. Thus, they said, the findings "implicate this mechanism for leptin receptor/endocannabinoid signaling in contributing to the maintenance of weight balance...." The researchers also included that "upregulation of endocannabinoid signaling in the LH may explain, at least in part, the increased body weight consistent with a prior report of elevated endocannabinoids" in such leptin-deficient mice.
The researchers concluded that their findings "are consistent with the hypothesis that the integration of endocannabinoid and leptin signaling regulates the excitability of neurons on appetite-related circuits."
They also wrote that "the cellular mechanisms of recently developed antiobesity drugs, such as rimonabant, may include decreased endocannabinoid signaling and hence decreased excitability of LH circuits related to appetite, even in the context of leptin insufficiency or resistance."
Yeah, just got dismissed as a "newbie lightweight" on our last thread (Mexican gangs forcing locals to grow drugs) by one of FR's leading WODies - but not until he demonstrated the irrelevancy and evasiveness of his arguments. People that understand logic and reason can judge for themselves when perusing older threads.
Hit a nerve did I?
It's precisely because I am in favor of an individual and healthy 2nd. Amendment that I am not in favor of legalizing pot at this time. The rise in crimes of public violence and assassinations began with Kennedy signing the Community Mental Health Centers Act of 1963 that let the mentally ill out on the street. The rise of drug abuse, crime and violence was a result.
ALL of the notorious cases of gun violence in this country, since the Sixties, have been committed by the mentally ill being able to wander the streets of this country. These mentally ill also drove the increase in drug abuse. The mentally ill are the reason that the 2nd Amendment is being infringed. Or is that too high a concept to wrap your drug addled brain around?
So shove your, "Why are you here?" where it belongs, you friggin ignorant moron!
I agree ... but it never hurts to highlight WODdies' lack of logic and reason.
re: getting off your dead butt for some exercise and pushing away from the table before you feel full
Hey, you don't have to get personal here.
Just an aside, my unscientific survey of these deep thinkers indicates about a 98% user rate among these posters. Most claim they don't do it anymore. None volunteers to report to jail to begin their payment to society for the exact crime they advocate others be jailed for.
Hypocrisy seems to go hand in hand with posting childish comments.
They usually do a good job of that themselves. Like post 83 above.
If you can show that the numerical increase in drug users is not substantially larger than the number of persons released by the Community Mental Health Centers Act, we'll have something to talk about. Otherwise you'll have failed to account for the former number.
What word do all pot smokers say? Heeere!
Violent pot-smoking criminals aren't prosecuted for their crimes?
Who knew?
Always an effective posting strategy.
I'm posting to the level of the argument.
Dave Chappelle, is that you? :)
Can't you just hear him saying it?
Yes...that is exactly part of the challenge with acute testing.
Try posting to the level of this argument: "If you can show that the numerical increase in drug users is not substantially larger than the number of persons released by the Community Mental Health Centers Act, we'll have something to talk about. Otherwise you'll have failed to account for the former number."
Correction, you SET the level of the argument.
Oh no! They made me do it! They made me post like that!
LOL
Don't forget post # 32 also...
Moron is as good as any for hose who propose the legalization of drugs before the national problem of the homeless and mentally ill on the street is addressed. The Pro-Pot croud are putting their own desire for personal pleasure ahead of our personal freedoms. The 2nd. Amendment being one of them.
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