Kundu Debanjan, Franchini Luca, Hasdemir Hale S, Lloyd Elliot, Maturano Jonathan, Rabl Katalin, Denissiouk Anna Nicole, Schumacher Mark, Sarlah David, Hellman Judith, Tajkhorshid Emad, Orlandi Cesare, Das Aditi
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, IBB, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, New York 14642, United States.
J Med Chem. 2025 Jul 10;68(13):13935-13953. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c00938. Epub 2025 Jun 26.
Interest in nonpsychotropic cannabinoids like cannabinol (CBN) is increasing for pain therapy. This study delivers critical insights into CBN's metabolism and pharmacological effects, uncovering its therapeutic potential for pain reduction. Using metabolomics, we identify CBN-11-OH as the dominant metabolite, with lower levels of CBN-1'-OH and CBN-quinone. Computational simulations reveal CBN's stability at the CYP2C9 active site, driving hydroxy metabolite formation. We report the intricate biotransformation of CBN by multiple cytochrome P450 enzymes. CBN and its metabolites exhibit mild anti-inflammatory effects in microglial cells, though less potent than cannabigerol and cannabichromene. Receptor activation assays further reveal that CBN-1'-OH acts as a partial CB1 agonist, while CBN and its metabolites antagonize CB1 and CB2 receptors. Notably, CBN and CBN-11-OH elevate intracellular Ca levels in dorsal root ganglia sensory neurons─an effect linked to potential pain relief. These findings lay the groundwork for harnessing CBN and its metabolites in novel pain therapeutics.
对诸如大麻酚(CBN)等非精神活性大麻素在疼痛治疗方面的兴趣与日俱增。本研究为CBN的代谢及药理作用提供了关键见解,揭示了其在减轻疼痛方面的治疗潜力。利用代谢组学,我们确定CBN - 11 - OH为主要代谢产物,CBN - 1'- OH和CBN - 醌的含量较低。计算模拟显示CBN在细胞色素P450 2C9(CYP2C9)活性位点的稳定性,促使羟基代谢产物的形成。我们报告了多种细胞色素P450酶对CBN的复杂生物转化过程。CBN及其代谢产物在小胶质细胞中表现出轻度抗炎作用,尽管效力低于大麻二酚和大麻色原烯。受体激活试验进一步表明,CBN - 1'- OH作为部分CB1激动剂,而CBN及其代谢产物则拮抗CB1和CB2受体。值得注意的是,CBN和CBN - 11 - OH可提高背根神经节感觉神经元内的细胞内钙水平——这一效应与潜在的疼痛缓解相关。这些发现为在新型疼痛治疗中利用CBN及其代谢产物奠定了基础。