A study published in the European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery found that cannabidiol (CBD) may help mitigate lung damage caused by pulmonary contusions resulting from blunt chest trauma.
Researchers conducted the study using an animal model, with rats divided into four groups: A control group, a trauma group, a group with trauma that consumed CBD, and a group that consumed CBD without any trauma.
The rats in the CBD treatment group received a single intraperitoneal dose of 5 mg/kg CBD 30 minutes before being subjected to a standardized chest trauma. Researchers then conducted histopathological, immunohistochemical, biochemical, and genetic analyses on the lung tissues.
Findings indicated that the trauma group exhibited increased tumor necrosis factor α, caspase-3, caspase-9, and Bcl-2-associated X protein expressions, along with higher oxidative stress markers and reduced antioxidant levels. Histological examinations also showed significant inflammatory cell infiltration, emphysema, hyperemia, and increased septal tissue thickness. However, CBD treatment significantly reduced these effects, demonstrating anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties.
“CBD reduces lung damage in lung contusions caused by blunt chest trauma through its anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects”, concludes the study, conducted by researchers from Suleyman Demirel University in Turkey. “More detailed studies investigating other important intracellular pathways are needed.”
