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."
Why didn't you ask me to provide evidence between the increase in drug use and the increase of gun control?
If you'd like to provide that evidence as well, feel free. Do you have any evidence that drug use has gone up?
The legal market might come up with an easier way to prevent fertilization of female plants than what the black market has ... but that would still have to be done, which makes growing good marijuana still significantly more difficult than simply sticking plants in the ground.
Thanks for the kind words. I see every ounce of bile spilled by WOD supporters as a gain for the anti-WOD position.
Hemp also has low THC content; growing cannabis plants with high THC content takes more effort. (That's why "ditch weed" is a derogatory term.)
As drug use has gone up, gun control has gone up accordingly. The graphs are identical. Liberals would prefer to have their drugs, than the right to be armed. That's why they are trading our gun rights for legalizing their drugs.
The cities with the highest drug use, such as San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore, D.C., also have the most strict gun control.
As drug use has gone up, gun control has gone up accordingly. The graphs are identical.
You have yet to show that the drug use graph has in fact gone up.
You wouldn't believe it if I did, or you would repudiate its source. On a drug thread, logic is futile. It's also an oxymoron.
And this makes it OK for you to repeatedly post unsupported claims? You Drug War cheerleaders are a hoot.
Of course, turnabout is fair play. Those of you who want to legalize pot constantly post unsupported claims from disreputable sources all the time. Why should I waste my time trying to convince you through all your own smoke?
Elbucko, you're the one making the claim that drug use has gone up. Could we at least clarify your claim? Do you mean that the number of drug users has increased, or the percentage of the population using drugs has increased? From what year do you contend the rise began?
So you make a habit of sinking to the level of others? Interesting. I prefer to keep to the high road, myself.
Those of you who want to legalize pot constantly post unsupported claims
Give one example of *me* ... not unnamed others ... doing so and refusing requests for support as you are doing.
Would a dr. need to get 'special permission' from ?whomever? to perscribe this for a nonHIV/AIDS patient?
Who, besides you, recognizes smoked marijuana as medicine? Certainly not any major medical organization.
Actually, the stupid people are those who wish to legalize smoked marijuana as medicine because they, personally, know of one instance where it had the appearance of helping someone they knew.
Hmmmm. Seems like a minor consequence compared the consequence of death when an immune-suppressed chemo patient smokes contaminated, home-grown marijuana.
Hey, what the hell. They were going to die anyways, right?
Which coincides with the conclusion reached by the medical community.
Worse for us. He's admitted on this forum that he's taught them they don't have to obey the laws they disagree with.
Also, are you saying the ninth amendment dictates that the federal government must protect all of your rights? Is that what you're saying?
As evidenced by ... what? The plethora of alcohol stills in basements as opposed to marijuana plants?
Decriminalization and "medical" marijuana laws coincide with the recent rise in overall marijuana use.
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