Hepatotoxicity of a Cannabidiol-Rich Cannabis Extract in the Mouse Model

[jberryhill]

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/9/1694

The goal of this study was to investigate Cannabidiol (CBD) hepatotoxicity in 8-week-old male B6C3F1 mice. Animals were gavaged with either 0, 246, 738, or 2460 mg/kg of CBD (acute toxicity, 24 h) or with daily doses of 0, 61.5, 184.5, or 615 mg/kg for 10 days (sub-acute toxicity). These doses were the allometrically scaled mouse equivalent doses (MED) of the maximum recommended human maintenance dose of CBD in EPIDIOLEX® (20 mg/kg). In the acute study, significant increases in liver-to-body weight (LBW) ratios, plasma ALT, AST, and total bilirubin were observed for the 2460 mg/kg dose. In the sub-acute study, 75% of mice gavaged with 615 mg/kg developed a moribund condition between days three and four. As in the acute phase, 615 mg/kg CBD increased LBW ratios, ALT, AST, and total bilirubin. Hepatotoxicity gene expression arrays revealed that CBD differentially regulated more than 50 genes, many of which were linked to oxidative stress responses, lipid metabolism pathways and drug metabolizing enzymes. In conclusion, CBD exhibited clear signs of hepatotoxicity, possibly of a cholestatic nature. The involvement of numerous pathways associated with lipid and xenobiotic metabolism raises serious concerns about potential drug interactions as well as the safety of CBD.

[ismnotwasm]

1. Interesting

I wonder if they gendered the mice? Women have more cannaboid receptors than males do, significantly so, according to a conference On addiction I went to recently. The speaker, a neuroscientist, also stated that government sponsored studies of marijuana used a uniform, inferior type grown from one area of the country.

A lot of work to be done in the topic to be sure.

[WheelWalker]

2. Once you get into extracts and concentrates, heightened attention is warranted to be certain.

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Did the mice get hurt?

[BigmanPigman]

4. I need this translated please.

Does it say it harms the liver?

[zooks]

5. Forbes article at link explains the study

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeadams/2019/06/18/marijuana-study-finds-cbd-can-cause-liver-damage/#73b2b3a943ff

[BigmanPigman]

6. Thanks, that was very helpful.

[safeinOhio]

7. Wouldn't hurt to have your LIPID test done every year.

Plus take the recommended dose.

[Ms. Toad]

11. That won't tell you if it is harming your liver.

You need a panel of liver tests - which are not normally run, unless there is a suspicion of liver damage.

[trof]

8. That's easy for YOU to say.

[superpatriotman]

9. Synthesized pharma CBD at high doses harms the liver

Glad it’s tested, but it’s still the drug company version. Not the grocery store version.

[jberryhill]

10. It's a plant extract

This "drug company" makes exactly two products - CBD and THC from cannabis plants.

How is the unregulated "grocery store version" of unknown purity and contaminants "better" in some relevant aspect?

Better yet, why are you saying that EPIDIOLEX is "synthesized"?

https://www.gwpharm.com/about

[nolabear]

12. I'm curious about liver panels on people who have used it for pain.

For a couple of years now people with chronic pain have used CBD and certainly many have had lots of draws. It would be valuable to have some perspective on their numbers.

I’ll admit I hope to hell its not true. We need some kind of break here.

[safeinOhio]

13. I'd like to if it is as bad for your liver as Tylenol.

[sir pball]

14. Interesting, but those are some pretty intense dosages

From what I understand, recommended daily doses are pretty much invariably under 50mg. For me, weighing ~85 kilos, the lowest sub-acute does would be 5,227mg. That's over seventeen bottles of 30x10mg gummies a day, of course you're going to be messed up after four days of that. The highest acute dose is nearing a lethal dose of table salt; at those levels - for me it would be 209 grams, almost eight ounces, of pure CBD extract - virtually any pure substance is going to have some pretty nasty effects.

It's definitely intriguing, and warrants more research, but the harm they found in this study is more like the saccharin-cancer link where you'd have to drink 800 cans of diet soda a day.