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Application of a cannabis-like cream greatly reduces uremic pruritus (mild to severe itching as a result of kidney disease) and xerosis (abnormal dryness of the skin) in patients with end-stage renal failure, according to clinical trial data published this month.
Twenty-one hemodialysis patients participated in the trial, performed by Wroclaw, Poland's University of Medicine, Department of Dermatology. All the subjects applied the test cream, which contained endocannabinoids (marijuana-like chemicals produced naturally in humans and animals that bind to the same receptors as do plant-derived cannabinoids such as THC), twice daily for a period of three weeks.
At the completion of the study, pruritus was "completely eliminated" in 38 percent of the subjects and had been "significantly reduced" in several others during the trial period, authors found. Likewise, 81 percent of subjects experienced a "complete reduction" in xerosis after using the cream.
Currently, "no effective [prescription] treatment" exists for uremic pruritus, authors noted.
They concluded: "The test product appeared to be effective in reducing both pruritus and xerosis in hemodialysis patients. It is very probable that the observed decrease of pruritus with the test product therapy was not only the result of dry skin improvement but that the addition of endocannabinoids may have also played a role. These preliminary results are encouraging, however, additional controlled studies are needed to clarify the exact usefulness of [encocannabinoids] in therapy of uremic pruritus."
Previous research on endocannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system indicate that they may play a role in maintaining homeostasis (metabolic equilibrium) in humans and other living organisms. Some of the biological functions regulated by endocannabinoids include appetite, body temperature, blood pressure, reproductive activity, learning capacity, and motor coordination.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500.
DL: NORML - Working to Reform Marijuana Laws Since 1970
Source: NORML Foundation (DC)
Published: December 15, 2005
Copyright: 2005 NORML
Contact: norml@norml.org
Website: NORML - Working to Reform Marijuana Laws Since 1970
Twenty-one hemodialysis patients participated in the trial, performed by Wroclaw, Poland's University of Medicine, Department of Dermatology. All the subjects applied the test cream, which contained endocannabinoids (marijuana-like chemicals produced naturally in humans and animals that bind to the same receptors as do plant-derived cannabinoids such as THC), twice daily for a period of three weeks.
At the completion of the study, pruritus was "completely eliminated" in 38 percent of the subjects and had been "significantly reduced" in several others during the trial period, authors found. Likewise, 81 percent of subjects experienced a "complete reduction" in xerosis after using the cream.
Currently, "no effective [prescription] treatment" exists for uremic pruritus, authors noted.
They concluded: "The test product appeared to be effective in reducing both pruritus and xerosis in hemodialysis patients. It is very probable that the observed decrease of pruritus with the test product therapy was not only the result of dry skin improvement but that the addition of endocannabinoids may have also played a role. These preliminary results are encouraging, however, additional controlled studies are needed to clarify the exact usefulness of [encocannabinoids] in therapy of uremic pruritus."
Previous research on endocannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system indicate that they may play a role in maintaining homeostasis (metabolic equilibrium) in humans and other living organisms. Some of the biological functions regulated by endocannabinoids include appetite, body temperature, blood pressure, reproductive activity, learning capacity, and motor coordination.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500.
DL: NORML - Working to Reform Marijuana Laws Since 1970
Source: NORML Foundation (DC)
Published: December 15, 2005
Copyright: 2005 NORML
Contact: norml@norml.org
Website: NORML - Working to Reform Marijuana Laws Since 1970
