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Review
. 2022 Aug 20;23(16):9423.
doi: 10.3390/ijms23169423.

Cannabinoids and Chronic Liver Diseases

Ralph-Sydney Mboumba Bouassa  1   2 , Giada Sebastiani  2   3   4 , Vincenzo Di Marzo  5   6   7   8 , Mohammad-Ali Jenabian  1 , Cecilia T Costiniuk  2   4   9
Affiliations
Review

Cannabinoids and Chronic Liver Diseases

Ralph-Sydney Mboumba Bouassa et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcohol-induced liver disease (ALD), and viral hepatitis are the main causes of morbidity and mortality related to chronic liver diseases (CLDs) worldwide. New therapeutic approaches to prevent or reverse these liver disorders are thus emerging. Although their etiologies differ, these CLDs all have in common a significant dysregulation of liver metabolism that is closely linked to the perturbation of the hepatic endocannabinoid system (eCBS) and inflammatory pathways. Therefore, targeting the hepatic eCBS might have promising therapeutic potential to overcome CLDs. Experimental models of CLDs and observational studies in humans suggest that cannabis and its derivatives may exert hepatoprotective effects against CLDs through diverse pathways. However, these promising therapeutic benefits are not yet fully validated, as the few completed clinical trials on phytocannabinoids, which are thought to hold the most promising therapeutic potential (cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabivarin), remained inconclusive. Therefore, expanding research on less studied phytocannabinoids and their derivatives, with a focus on their mode of action on liver metabolism, might provide promising advances in the development of new and original therapeutics for the management of CLDs, such as NAFLD, ALD, or even hepatitis C-induced liver disorders.

Keywords: ALD; HCV; HIV; NAFLD; NASH; cannabidiol (CBD); cannabinoids; chronic liver diseases; endocannabinoid system; insulin resistance; steatosis; tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

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Conflict of interest statement

G.S. has acted as a speaker for Merck, Gilead, Abbvie, Pfizer, and Novonordisk, has served as an advisory board member for Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Gilead, and Intercept, and has received unrestricted research funding from Theratecnologies. C.T.C. has served on advisory boards for Viiv Healthcare and Gilead, and has received grant support from Merck, Gilead, Viiv, and Tilray Inc. She has also received travel support to attend conferences from Gilead and Viiv Healthcare. V.D.M. has served as consultant for GW Pharmaceuticals, UK.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effects of activation of hepatic cannabinoid receptors CB1R and CB2R on chronic liver diseases. The effects of CB1R and CB2R activation by different stimuli, such as high-fat diet, excessive alcohol intake, or pharmacological activation, on the main processes involved in chronic liver pathologies, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and alcohol-associated liver disease. These CB1R/CB2R-mediated biological effects are presented for hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells, and Kupffer cells.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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