title: Anticoagulant effects of a Cannabis extract in an obese rat model.
abstract: Blood coagulation studies were conducted to determine the possible anti-/prothrombotic effect of an organic cannabis extract and the three major cannabinoids, THC, CBD and CBN. The in vitro effect of the cannabis extract on thrombin activity produced an IC50 value of 9.89 mg/ml, compared to THC at 1.79 mg/ml. It was also found that the extract, THC and CBN showed considerable inhibition of thrombin-induced clot formation in vitro with IC50 values of 600, 87 and 83 microg/ml for the extract, THC and CBN respectively. In an in vivo model used to determine clotting times of lean and obese rats treated with a cannabis extract, 50% clotting times were found to be 1.5 and 2 fold greater than their respective control groups, supporting the results obtained in the in vitro model. The study thus shows that Cannabis sativa and the cannabinoids, THC and CBN, display anticoagulant activity and may be useful in the treatment of diseases such as type 2 diabetes in which a hypercoagulable state exists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coetzee
authors.forename: R-A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Levendal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van de Venter
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Frost
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002188:Cannabis; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D009765:Obesity; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D013917:Thrombin / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D002186:Cannabinoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013917:Thrombin