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Higher Education
Academic Corner
For example, the sensation of hunger is in part controlled by the endo-cannabinoid system. After consuming a meal, the body releases a substance known as leptin. This signal factor tells the brain that enough food has been consumed, and any more food consumed is potentially coming back out, thus decreasing the intensity of the ‘water temperature’ of the faucet and reducing appetite signals. When in use, the endocannabinoid system synthesizes its own neurotransmitters called endocannabinoids. When hungry, these endocannabinoids are inhibiting the activity of cells secreting leptin, and allow the appetite-stimulating signal known as ghrelin to increase. Once there is more ghrelin than leptin, the desire to eat returns. Without the endocannabinoid system, the body would not be able to properly regulate these two signaling hormones to differentiate between hungry and stuffed.
Patients with a less responsive endocannabinoid system may be more prone to appetite issues. AIDS (autoimmune deficiency syndrome) patients are commonly prescribed cannabis because of reduced appetite, due to the side effects of the various drugs taken. Cannabis interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system to decrease leptin activity. Since the chemicals in cannabis are structurally similar to those made by the body, the cannabinoids found in the plant (phytocannabinoids) can be received by cells to regulate cell signaling. Once introduced into the patient, the combined phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids control hunger regulation. The body has too much leptin (or not enough ghrelin) so the patient has no appetite. Inhibiting leptin signal strength, the low concentration of ghrelin is enough to make a difference and an appetite is produced (“munchies”).
The endocannabinoid system also is observed to treat pain. This serves many purposes in medicine. With the growing opioid crisis, cannabis has been proposed as a possible solution. Opiates are so successful (and addictive) because the pharma-ceutically made chemical structures are almost identical and in some cases more effective at controlling cell signaling than naturally made endorphins. Pain is another signal produced by the body and involve different neurotransmitters known as endorphins. Previously proposed theories of pain regulation involved endorphins, the body’s natural pain killer.
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