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Atherosclerosis Research Paper

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Introduction: Atherosclerosis is defined as the hardening or narrowing of the arteries. This is caused by the formation of plaque within arteries, a fatty substance composed of cholesterol, calcium, and fibrin [1]. The formation of plaque within arteries restricts the blood flow through the arteries and to the rest of the body. When excess plaque is built up, a blood clot, or thrombus, may form on the surface or a piece of the plaque may fall off freely into the blood stream. In either case, a heart attack or stroke is likely to occur which are two of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in today’s world [7]. Atherosclerosis is known to be a chronic and progressive inflammatory disease that may begin development even in early …show more content…
Cannabinoids and their plant form of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have been proven to have favorable effects on a varying range of sickness and diseases such as nausea and vomiting, anorexia, and spasticity related to sclerosis multiplex or spinal cord injuries, movement disorders such as Tourette’s syndrome and Parkinson’s disease, asthma and glaucoma [2]. Research is still being completed to better explore the effects of cannabinoids on allergies, inflammation, infections, epilepsy, addiction and withdrawal syndromes. In addition to cannabinoids’ known psychotropic effects, they are proven to have exerted some form immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects [8]. This would lead to the conclusion that cannabinoids may be beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis. Cannabinoids produce their responses through the binding of two G-protein coupled receptors, cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) [8]. The anti-inflammatory effects stem from the activation of CB2, which is found primarily in peripheral immune cells and occasionally present in the brain, adipocytes, endothelial cells, and the pancreas [7]. Their psychotropic effects; however, originate from the activation of CB1 typically found in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and …show more content…
They sought to determine if cannabinoids reduced hypertension in rodents, which is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis [6]. They, like the other past studies, also determined that low doses of THC reduced atherosclerosis progression in their lab rodents and that the modulation of endocannabinoid levels, receptors and related enzymes in different conditions at the end of the treatment [6]. This research found promising results on the impact of the drug on the mice models; however, were also concerned with the health conflicts associated with smoking marijuana [6]. They aim to solve this issues with further research to discover a way to target and activate only the CB2

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