The role of anandamide in asthma and other lung diseases – study
Cannabis Health News

New research investigating the effects of anandamide as an airway relaxant, could lead to potential new treatments for asthma and other lung diseases.  In a new study, the endocannabinoid anandamide has been shown to act as an airway relaxant by dilating the lungs’ bronchial tubes affected in conditions such as asthma and COPD. Anandamide is a fatty acid neurotransmitter, which is produced naturally by the human body and interacts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS). It is perhaps the best known endogenous cannabinoid, binding to both the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, the same receptors that THC acts on.  Sometimes known as the ‘bliss’ molecule due to how it makes people feel, the name ‘anandamide’ is taken from the Sanskrit word ananda, which means ‘joy’ and is produced by the body after physical exercise, as well as being found in small amounts in chocolate. Now researchers have found another potential benefit of anandamide; as an airway relaxant in animals with debilitating lung diseases. Furthermore, they suggest that a deficiency in the endocannabinoid could be one of the causes of bronchial asthma. Anandamide and the bronchial tubes  Obstructive lung diseases are the third most common cause of death worldwide. They include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which affects many smokers, as well as bronchial asthma.  During an asthma attack, the bronchial tubes contract so violently that it is no longer possible to exhale – and this can be life-threatening.  “Asthma is an inflammatory process, but what is fatal is the constriction of the bronchial tubes,” explains Annika Simon, lead author of the new study carried out at Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany. “This is why we are very much interested in the regulation of this constriction.” In a previous study, the researchers had focused on the body’s endocannabinoid system, specifically on its effect in…

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Source : The role of anandamide in asthma and other lung diseases – study

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