CBD research on - Kidney disease

2016:Our results suggest that cannabidiol may represent a promising new protective strategy against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

Authors:

Pan H, Mukhopadhyay P, Rajesh M, Patel V, Mukhopadhyay B, Gao B, Haskó G, Pacher P.

Abstract:

The platinum compound cisplatin is one of the most potent chemotherapy

agents available to treat various malignancies. Nephrotoxicity is a
common complication of cisplatin chemotherapy, which involves increased
oxidative and nitrosative stress, limiting its clinical use. In this
study, we have investigated the effects of a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid
cannabidiol, which was reported to exert antioxidant effects and has
recently been approved for the treatment of inflammation, pain, and
spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis in patients in a mouse
model of cisplatin-induced nephropathy. Cisplatin induced increased
expression of superoxide-generating enzymes RENOX (NOX4) and NOX1,
enhanced reactive oxygen species generation, inducible nitric-oxide
synthase expression, nitrotyrosine formation, apoptosis (caspase-3/7
activity, DNA fragmentation, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase
dUTP nick-end labeling staining), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity,
and inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta) in
the kidneys of mice, associated with marked histopathological damage and
impaired renal function (elevated serum blood urea nitrogen and
creatinine levels) 72 h after the administration of the drug. Treatment
of mice with cannabidiol markedly attenuated the cisplatin-induced
oxidative/nitrosative stress, inflammation, and cell death in the
kidney, and it improved renal function. Thus, our results suggest that
cannabidiol may represent a promising new protective strategy against
cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.