A Disposable Pipette Extraction-UHPLC-MS/MS Method Based on Removal of Phospholipids to Determine Anandamide, 2-Arachidonoylglycerol, Cannabidiol, and Δ-Tetrahydrocannabidiol in Plasma Samples.

Cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main components of Cannabis sativa plants, can interact with specific cell receptors known as cannabinoid receptors (CBs). The endogenous compounds anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are CB agonists, and, alongside enzymes, they constitute the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and take part in neuromodulation. Several LC-MS/MS methods have been developed to quantify these compounds in biological matrixes, but a fast and simple method that can determine these analytes in plasma samples simultaneously is not available.

Morphine-induced side effects can be differentially modulated by cannabidiol in male and female rats.

Opioid use disorder is a public health problem that includes symptoms such as withdrawal syndrome and opioid-induced hyperalgesia. Currently, drugs to treat side effects of opioids also have undesirable effects, which lead to limitations. This study investigated the effect of a treatment with cannabidiol in morphine-induced hyperalgesia and withdrawal behavior in morphine-dependent rats.

Cannabidiol in anxiety disorders: Current and future perspectives.

Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent psychiatric disorders, characterized by a chronic course and often accompanied by comorbid symptoms that impair functionality and decrease quality of life. Despite advances in basic and clinical research in our understanding of these disorders, currently available pharmacological options are associated with limited clinical benefits and side effects that frequently lead to treatment discontinuation. Importantly, a significant number of patients do not achieve remission and live with lifelong residual symptoms that limit daily functioning.

Antinociceptive action of cannabidiol on thermal sensitivity and post-operative pain in male and female rats.

This study investigated the antinociceptive potential of cannabidiol (CBD) in male and female Wistar rats. The assessment and analysis included tail withdrawal to thermal stimulation (tail flick test) and mechanical allodynia induced by plantar incision injury (von Frey test). CBD reduced acute thermal sensitivity in uninjured animals and post-operative mechanical allodynia in males and females.

Progression of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazilian healthcare workers' emotional burden and the effects on professional fulfillment at the end of the third wave: a longitudinal study.

Introduction: Even though the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers' mental health remain unknown, such effects might negatively impact health services and patient safety, especially in countries like Brazil, where there is little investment in public health policies.

Objectives: To assess how the mental health indicators of Brazilian healthcare workers progressed between the beginning and 2 years after the pandemic (at the end of the third wave when there was a significant decrease in the number of new cases and deaths).

Methods: The sample comprised healthcare workers whose mental health indicators have been monitored since the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil.

Mental health trajectories of Brazilian health workers during two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021).

This study aimed to: (a) monitor the progression of symptoms of mental health burden among frontline workers caring for COVID-19 patients in Brazil during the two waves of the pandemic, considering the number of new cases and deaths, and; (b) to verify the different mental health outcomes and potential associations with current burnout symptoms. A non-probabilistic sample of health professionals was assessed as the pandemic progressed in Brazil (May/2020 August/2021). Standardized instruments focusing on anxiety, depression, insomnia, post-traumatic stress, and burnout symptoms were applied online.

Cannabidiol modulates contextual fear memory consolidation in animals with experimentally induced type-1 diabetes .

Objectives: In view of the neuroprotective characteristic of cannabidiol (CBD) and its beneficial action on aversive memory in non-diabetic animals, we aimed to investigate in animals with experimentally induced type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) whether CBD treatment would be able to impair the contextual fear memory consolidation, its generalisation and whether the effect would be lasting. We also investigated the CBD effect on anxiety-like responses.

Methods: After T1DM induction, animals received single or more prolonged treatment with CBD and were submitted to the contextual fear conditioning test.

Magnetic restricted-access carbon nanotubes for SPME to determine cannabinoids in plasma samples by UHPLC-MS/MS.

This manuscript describes the development of magnetic restricted-access carbon nanotubes (M-RACNTs) for use as SPME sorbent to determine cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in human plasma samples by UHPLC-MS/MS. The adsorptive phase was immobilized on an SPME device by electromagnetic interactions between the M-RACNTs and a cylindrical neodymium magnet (3-mm diameter x 8-mm height) attached to a stainless-steel rod (3-mm diameter x 40-mm height). The M-RACNTs were synthesized by incorporating FeO magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into commercial carbon nanotubes (CNTs); then the surface of the resulting sorbent was further coated with a layer of bovine serum albumin (BSA).

Cannabidiol enhances the antinociceptive effects of morphine and attenuates opioid-induced tolerance in the chronic constriction injury model.

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a complex health problem that includes sensorial manifestations such as evoked and ongoing pain. Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown potential in the treatment of NP and the combination between opioids and cannabinoids has provided promising results on pain relief. Thus, our study aimed to investigate the effect of treatment combination between CBD and morphine on evoked and ongoing pain, and the effect of CBD on morphine-induced tolerance in the model of chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve in rats.

The Effect of Cannabidiol for Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease in Parkinson's Disease Patients with REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Exploratory Analysis of Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the main nonpsychoactive components of and may represent an alternative treatment for Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease (RLS/WED) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep behavior disorder (RBD). Our purpose was a exploratory analysis to evaluate the CBD's efficacy to improve the severity of RLS/WED symptoms in patients with PD and RBD. A exploratory analysis of a phase II/III, a parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in 18 patients with RLS/WED and PD plus RBD associated.

Cannabidiol Treatment Improves Glucose Metabolism and Memory in Streptozotocin-Induced Alzheimer's Disease Rat Model: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

An early and persistent sign of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is glucose hypometabolism, which can be evaluated by positron emission tomography (PET) with F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([F]FDG). Cannabidiol has demonstrated neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties but has not been evaluated by PET imaging in an AD model. Intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of streptozotocin (STZ) is a validated model for hypometabolism observed in AD.

Circulating Endocannabinoids in Huntington's Disease: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor, cognitive and behavioral deficits. Some evidence suggests that the endocannabinoid system participates in the pathophysiology of HD. We conducted a cross-sectional study comparing plasma levels of anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol in manifest HD gene-expansion carriers (HDGEC) and healthy controls, finding no difference in endocannabinoid levels between the groups.

Memory bias and personality characteristics in college students with social anxiety disorder.

Introduction: Some individuals are more susceptible to recalling false information about events that never happened in their life. Nevertheless, there are several factors, such as personality characteristics, that appear to be related to memory performance. Social anxiety also provokes memory deficits for events that happen to other people, because these individuals tend to focus on their own inner selves rather than on external signs.

Risk and Protective Factors for the Mental Health of Brazilian Healthcare Workers in the Frontline of COVID-19 Pandemic.

The objective was to compare the mental health indicators of health workers providing care to individuals with COVID-19 in Brazil, considering sociodemographic and occupational variables and the risk perception of contamination by the Sars-CoV-2 of workers from different professions, identifying risk and protective factors. A sample of 916 health workers was assessed: physicians, nursing workers, and workers from other professions (psychologists, physical therapists, nutritionists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, dentists, pharmacists, and social workers). REDCAP software was used to collect data online, using standardized instruments to assess anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and insomnia, and one questionnaire addressed risk and protective variables.

Two-weeks treatment with cannabidiol improves biophysical and behavioral deficits associated with experimental type-1 diabetes.

The prevalence rates of depression and anxiety are at least two times higher in diabetic patients, increasing morbidity and mortality. Cannabidiol (CBD) has been identified as a therapeutic agent viable to treat diverse psychiatric disorders. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of CBD treatment (once a day for 14 days starting two weeks after diabetes induction; at doses of 0, 3, 10 or 30 mg/kg, i.

Cannabidiol-induced panicolytic-like effects and fear-induced antinociception impairment: the role of the CB receptor in the ventromedial hypothalamus.

Rationale: The behavioural effects elicited by chemical constituents of Cannabis sativa, such as cannabidiol (CBD), on the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) are not well understood. There is evidence that VMH neurons play a relevant role in the modulation of unconditioned fear-related defensive behavioural reactions displayed by laboratory animals.

Objectives: This study was designed to explore the specific pattern of distribution of the CB receptors in the VMH and to investigate the role played by this cannabinoid receptor in the effect of CBD on the control of defensive behaviours and unconditioned fear-induced antinociception.

Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5): cross-cultural adaptation and content validity in the Brazilian context.

Objective: To describe the process of cross-cultural adaptation of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) to the Brazilian context.

Methods: Cross-cultural adaptation involved the steps of independent translation of the instrument, synthesis version, and back-translation. Analysis of content validity was conducted by a multidisciplinary expert committee and consisted of quantitative assessment of agreement indicators.

The prevalence and clinical correlates of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder among patients with bipolar disorder: A systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is commonly associated with comorbidities, especially substance use disorders. In light of this, the present review aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical correlates of cannabis use in BD. Studies evaluating the prevalence of cannabis use among patients with BD and studies reporting a dichotomous sample of patients with cannabis use compared to those without the use were included.

Recent advances in LC-MS/MS methods to determine endocannabinoids in biological samples: Application in neurodegenerative diseases.

Endocannabinoids (ECs) are endogenous lipid-based retrograde neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors [cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2)]. Many ECs have been characterized; anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) are still considered the primary ECs signaling mediators. Dysregulation of ECs has been implicated in a wide range of pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases.

Evaluation of the role of the cannabidiol system in an animal model of ischemia/reperfusion kidney injury.

Objective: This work aimed to investigate the effects of the administration of cannabidiol in a kidney ischemia/reperfusion animal model.

Methods: Kidney injury was induced by 45 minutes of renal ischemia followed by reperfusion. Cannabidiol (5mg/kg) was administered immediately after reperfusion.

Determination of Drugs in Plasma Samples by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Schizophrenic Patients.

This work describes the development of a simple, sensitive and selective method based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) to determine antipsychotics (olanzapine, quetiapine, clozapine, haloperidol and chlorpromazine) along with antidepressants (mirtazapine, paroxetine, citalopram, sertraline, imipramine, clomipramine and fluoxetine), anticonvulsants (carbamazepine and lamotrigine) and anxiolytics (diazepam and clonazepam) in plasma samples obtained from schizophrenic patients. The samples were prepared by protein precipitation. The target drugs were separated on an XSelect SCH C18 column (100 mm × 2.

Dissociation between the panicolytic effect of cannabidiol microinjected into the substantia nigra, pars reticulata, and fear-induced antinociception elicited by bicuculline administration in deep layers of the superior colliculus: The role of CB1-cannabinoid receptor in the ventral mesencephalon.

Many studies suggest that the substantia nigra, pars reticulata (SNpr), a tegmental mesencephalic structure rich in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)- and cannabinoid receptor-containing neurons, is involved in the complex control of defensive responses through the neostriatum-nigral disinhibitory and nigro-tectal inhibitory GABAergic pathways during imminently dangerous situations. The aim of the present work was to investigate the role played by CB1-cannabinoid receptor of GABAergic pathways terminal boutons in the SNpr or of SNpr-endocannabinoid receptor-containing interneurons on the effect of intra-nigral microinjections of cannabidiol in the activity of nigro-tectal inhibitory pathways. GABAA receptor blockade in the deep layers of the superior colliculus (dlSC) elicited vigorous defensive behaviour.

Simultaneous determination of amino acids and neurotransmitters in plasma samples from schizophrenic patients by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

A sensitive, reproducible, and rapid method was developed for the simultaneous determination of underivatized amino acids (aspartate, serine, glycine, alanine, methionine, leucine, tyrosine, and tryptophan) and neurotransmitters (glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid) in plasma samples using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. The plasma concentrations of amino acids and neurotransmitters obtained from 35 schizophrenic patients in treatment with clozapine (27 patients) and olanzapine (eight patients) were compared with those obtained from 38 healthy volunteers to monitor the effectiveness of treatment. The chromatographic conditions separated ten target compounds within 3 min.