Cannabis oil: Effects on Cannabinoid-Induced Tetrad, blood pressure and metabolic parameters in female rats fed a sucrose-rich diet

Abstract

Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is one of the most commonly used names for a clinical entity that brings together or associates different disorders that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Cannabis sativa has been used as an herbal medicine for tens of centuries. This study aimed to analyze the effects of cannabis oil administration on cannabinoid-induced tetrad, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and metabolic parameters in normal female rats fed a sucrose-rich diet (SRD). Female Wistar rats were fed with the one of following diets for 21 days: Reference Diet (RD): standard commercial laboratory diet, SRD, and SRD+Cannabis oil (SRD+Ca): oral administration of 1 mg/kg body weight of cannabis oil daily. The full spectrum cannabis oil contains a total cannabinoid CBD:THC 2:1 ratio. Cannabis oil administration in the SRD significantly increased analgesia and decreased locomotion. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased during the experimental protocol. In the SRD+Ca group, serum triglyceride levels decreased significantly, without changes in cholesterol and glucose levels. In addition, serum uric acid, AST, ALT and AP levels were significantly decreased. In the liver, the abnormalities of the histological sections observed in the SRD group and triglycerides and cholesterol content improved remarkably with the cannabis oil administration. Our results suggest that the administration of full-spectrum cannabis oil, could be useful as a strategy to prevent some of the alterations present in MS, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, and liver damage. Furthermore, the analgesic effect of cannabis oil could be observed in female rats fed an SRD.