There is evidence of human interactions with plants of the genus Cannabis spp., for several different purposes, for at least 12,000 years. Even so, until the 1960s, studies involving Cannabis were focused on the context of an illicit drug (Backes, 2014). The isolation and characterization of cannabidiol (CBD) (Mechoulam & Shvo, 1963) and Δ9− tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (Gaoni & Mechoulam, 1964;Mechoulam & Gaoni, 1967), seem to have, once again, awakened the interest of the scientific community to study Cannabis, after a period of neglect. In the 1970s, CBD's antiepileptic effect was demonstrated in mice and rats (Carlini et al., 1973) and later in people with epilepsy (Cunha et al., 1980). From the 1980s onwards, THC receptors in the brain of rats (later called cannabinoid receptors 1 or CB1) were demonstrated (Devane et al., 1988), and an endogenous substance (anandamide) extracted from pig brains which could bind to these same receptors was discovered (Devane et al., 1992), as well as a second cannabinoid receptor (CB2) isolated from human spleen cells (Munro et al., 1993).Thus, the concept of an endocannabinoid system was created, which is present in a wide range of living beings and consists of cannabinoid receptors (CRs) subtypes, binding substances, and enzymes involved in their synthesis and degradation (Landa et al., 2016;

RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito da ω-conotoxina MVIIC e das células-tronco mesenquimais (CTM) de forma isolada e sua associação nos ratos submetidos ao trauma medular agudo (TMA). Trinta Rattus novergicus, linhagem Wistar, três meses de idade, foram distribuídos igualmente em cinco grupos experimentais: controle negativo (CN), controle positivo (CP), ω-conotoxina MVIIC (MVIIC), células-tronco mesenquimais da medula óssea (CTM-MO) e associação (MVIIC + CTM-MO). O grupo CN foi submetido à laminectomia sem trauma medular, e os grupos CP, MVIIC, CTM-MO e MVIIC + CTM-MO foram submetidos ao trauma medular contusivo. O grupo CP recebeu, uma hora após o TMA, 10μL de PBS estéril, e os grupos MVIIC e MVIIC + CTM-MO receberam 10μL de PBS contendo 20pmol da ω-conotoxina MVIIC, todos por via intratecal. Os grupos CTM-MO e MVIIC + CTM-MO receberam, 24 horas após, 1x106 de CTM via intravenosa. Avaliou-se a recuperação da função locomotora até o sétimo dia pós-trauma. Os animais tratados com MVIIC + CTM-MO obtiveram recuperação motora após o trauma medular agudo (P<0,05). Conclui-se que essa associação apresentou efeito neuroprotetor com melhora na função locomotora em ratos Wistar.

Epilepsy is relatively common in dogs and is characterized by recurring seizures. In order to treat such cases effectively, the veterinarian must first clarify the etiology of the reported episodic events, investigate the cause of the seizures, carry out a detailed clinical evaluation of the patient from the start of the treatment, decide on the drug to be used, monitor the patient appropriately, and ensure that the dog’s owners understand and collaborate with the treatment. Reasons for treatment failures include the prescription of drugs unsuitable for use in dogs or the use of low doses. This article reviews factors related to the use of phenobarbital, potassium bromide and levetiracetam – drugs available in Brazil for which there is stronger evidence of safety and effectiveness in the treatment of canine epilepsy.