BIO

My name is Nicholas Maykut. I am a fourth year undergraduate student, pursuing a degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Spanish. I am highly interested in metabolic and cardiovascular research as I look to pursue a career as a physician. I hope to one day use my research skills and scientific knowledge to help bring equality and improved care to the medical field.

Can CBD be used to treat metabolic disorders while maintaining its anxiolytic effects?

Abstract

There is a strong correlation between obesity and risk of metabolic disorders, with studies citing weight loss as the most effective treatment or prevention strategy. Herein we examined if chronic administration of CBD could induce weight loss such as the CB1 receptor antagonist, rimonabant, while retaining the anxiolytic effects. We used wildtype (WT) male and female mice in our study as well as mice that had heightened anxiety attributed to a loss in Kv1.3 ion channel (Kv1.3-/-). Mice were chronically administered intraperitoneal injections of CBD or solvent (12 doses over 3 weeks) at two different doses (low = 10 mg/kg, high = 20 mg/kg). Mice were placed in a Columbus Instruments Monitoring System (CLAMS) to provide continual tracking of metabolic variables such as locomotor activity, food and water consumption, total energy expenditure (TEE), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide exhalation. We hypothesize that there will be a reduction in ingestive behaviors, a loss in body weight, and an increase in energy expenditure in mice treated with CBD in comparison to the control group. Our preliminary results for a cohort of female WT mice showed a significant decrease in food intake for mice treated with CBD versus solvent, but no significant changes in RER or TEE. We are currently examining data for three cohorts (n=16) of mice at each of the two doses, sorted by sex, to determine if CBD may be used to induce weight loss in metabolic disorders.

Keywords: CBD, metabolism, anxiety