Antipsychotic-like effects of cannabidiol and rimonabant: systematic review of animal and human studies.
Several lines of experimental and clinical evidence point to a close relationship between cannabis, the endogenous cannabinoid system, and schizophrenia. A variety of animal and human studies found a dysregulation of endocannabinoid signalling in psychosis. Elevated anandamide levels in schizophrenia patients that are negatively correlated with psychotic symptomatology indicate a protective role, whereas 2-arachidonoylglycerol appears to counteract psychosis-related cognitive impairments. Thus, pharmacological manipulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system might be associated with potential antipsychotic properties. In the present systematic review, both preclinical studies using different animal models of psychosis as well as clinical trials investigating the antipsychotic effects of both cannabidiol and rimonabant are presented together with the possible underlying mechanisms of action. The results predominantly confirm the hypothesis of an antipsychotic activity of both cannabinoids. In comparison, cannabidiol appears to be superior to rimonabant with a pharmacological profile similar to atypical antipsychotic drugs.
Department of Psychiatry, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1-3, 44791 Bochum, Germany. patrik.roser@rub.de
Patrik
P
Roser
Ida S
IS
Haussleiter
D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002185:Cannabidiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D063387:Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D000077285:Rimonabant
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D063387:Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists; D010880:Piperidines; D011720:Pyrazoles; D002185:Cannabidiol; D000077285:Rimonabant