Islet protection and amelioration of diabetes type 2 in <i>Psammomys obesus</i> by treatment with cannabidiol

Abstract

Background and purpose: Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of <i>Cannabis sativa</i>, has been shown by us, to have an anti-inflammatory effect in collagen-induced arthritis in DBA mice and in type 1 diabetes in NOD mice. As inflammation is a process involved in diabetes type 2, we administered CBD to <i>Psammomys obesus</i> (sand rats), a species which develops diabetes type 2 when fed high-energy (HE) diet, to investigate whether we can hinder the development of the disease. Experimental Approach: Male <i>Psammomys obesus</i> were kept on a high energy diet during the experiments. They were treated with CBD (i.p injection, 5 mg/kg, 5 times/week) for 4 weeks and kept (without CBD) for another 29 - 39 days. The weights of the animals as well as blood glucose and plasma insulin levels were determined and the morphology of the pancreatic islets was examined. Key results: CBD significantly reduced blood glucose levels in <i>Psammomys obesus</i>, without effecting body weight. Plasma insulin levels were significantly higher in the CBD-treated group. The most striking effect noted was the marked decrease of the destruction of pancreatic islets and beta cells. Conclusions and implications: CBD partially protects pancreatic islets and beta cells from destruction. CBD lowers significantly the blood glucose level and increases insulin level in <i>Psammomys obesus</i> with diabetes type 2, but does not lead to obesity. As CBD already has been administered to patients for other medical indications we propose its use as a therapeutic agent in diabetes type 2

Mitochondrial ion channels in pancreatic β‐cells: Novel pharmacological targets for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes

“…For instance, cannabidiol treatment of Type 1 diabetic mice reduced the inflammatory changes associated with the condition and prevented the onset of the disease (Weiss et al, 2008). In a mouse model of Type 2 diabetes, cannabidiol treatment protected islet integrity, lowered blood glucose levels, and increased circulating insulin concentration (Ehud et al, 2012). The potential therapeutic effect of cannabidiol for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes in humans was investigated by Jadoon and collaborators (NCT01217112; Jadoon et al, 2016).…”