title: Cannabinoids attenuate cancer pain and proliferation in a mouse model.
abstract: We investigated the effects of cannabinoid receptor agonists on (1) oral cancer cell viability in vitro and (2) oral cancer pain and tumor growth in a mouse cancer model. We utilized immunohistochemistry and Western blot to show that human oral cancer cells express CBr1 and CBr2. When treated with WIN55,212-2 (non-selective), ACEA (CBr1-selective) or AM1241 (CBr2-selective) agonists in vitro, oral cancer cell proliferation was significantly attenuated in a dose-dependent manner. In vivo, systemic administration (0.013M) of WIN55,212-2, ACEA, or AM1241 significantly attenuated cancer-induced mechanical allodynia. Tumor growth was also significantly attenuated with systemic AM1241 administration. Our findings suggest a direct role for cannabinoid mechanisms in oral cancer pain and proliferation. The systemic administration of cannabinoid receptor agonists may have important therapeutic implications wherein cannabinoid receptor agonists may reduce morbidity and mortality of oral cancer.
authors.affiliation: UCSF School of Dentistry, University of California San Francisco, United States.
authors.forename: Negin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saghafi
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Brian L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D048588:Benzoxazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: C439263:AM 1241; D000700:Analgesics; D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D048588:Benzoxazines; D002186:Cannabinoids; D009025:Morpholines; D009281:Naphthalenes; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid; C119325:arachidonyl-2-chloroethylamide; C070417:(3R)-((2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-((4-morpholinyl)methyl)pyrrolo-(1,2,3-de)-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl)(1-naphthalenyl))methanone