Pharmacological analysis of cannabinoid-induced inhibition of gastric mucosal damage and gastric motility

Aims: Cannabinoid receptors are likely to be involved in different gastrointestinal functions: Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol inhibits stress ulcer (Sofia et al., 1978), decreases intragastric pressure and the pyloric contractility (Krowicki et al.,1999) and CB1 receptor agonists decrease the gastric acid secretion (Adami et al., 2002). We aimed to detect the effect of endogenous cannabinoids (anandamide and methanadamide) and the synthetic analogue WIN-552, 212–2 on acid-independent ulcer model and stimulated gastric motility. Gastric mucosal damage was induced by acidified ethanol in rats. Gastric motility was tested…