Home
Local News
Weather
Eyewitness Sports
Medical Coverage
Call 12 For Action
Target 12 Investigators
More Details
Technology
Entertainment
Community
What's On WPRI
What's On Fox
This Morning Weekend
Contests
Experts Online
Feedback
Online Store
Chopper 12
Station Info



 May 12, 2005
Active Ingredient in Marijuana Slows Hardening of Arteries in Mice
Email to a Friend Printer Friendly Version  

Low doses of marijuana's active ingredient -- delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- slowed the progression of hardening of the arteries in mice, a new Swiss study found.

The research may lead to the development of new medicines to treat hardening of the arteries in people. The study appears in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.

The Swiss scientists put the mice on a high-cholesterol diet for 11 weeks. About midway through the period, the scientists starting giving low doses of THC to some of the mice. The amount of THC was too small to produce any marijuana-like behavioral changes.

When the experiment ended, the mice that received THC had less clogging of the blood vessels than the mice that weren't given the chemical, the Associated Press reported.

Related research found that higher doses of THC did not offer any additional benefit to the mice.

The Swiss team concluded that THC affected immune-system cells, reducing their release of an inflammation-promoting substance, the wire service said.

-----

Copyright � 2005 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

Health News | Health Encyclopedia | Quizzes and Tools | Women's Health | Men's Health | Children's Health | Seniors' Health | Diet, Fitness and Self Image | Sex and Relationships

Health Encyclopedia: Children's Health
Enuresis
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Otitis Externa
Umbilical Cord Blood
Diarrhea
Umbilical Hernia In Infants
Precocious Puberty
Reye's Syndrome
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Learning Disabilities
Children's Health News
Alzheimer's Drug Trial Offers Mixed Results
Children Safer in Back Seat, Study Confirms
U.S. Child Vaccine Supply Running Low
Progress Slowing Against Child Deaths
Judge Allows Pentagon to Resume Anthrax Vaccinations
Florida Tomato Packing House Linked to 2004 Salmonella Outbreak
Mental Health Problems Plague Kids After Foster Care
Active Ingredient in Marijuana Slows Hardening of Arteries in Mice
Talking About Suicide With Teens Won't Spur Thoughts: Report
Teens Perceive Oral Sex as Less Risky: Survey
 
Send questions and comments about this website to the .
All content © Copyright 2003-2005 WorldNow, WPRI, WNAC and Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.