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Small amounts of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, slowed the hardening of arteries in mice, according to a study in the latest issue of the journal Nature. The mice in the study were fed a high-cholesterol diet for 11 weeks. Halfway through that period, some of the mice started receiving very small daily doses of THC. The mice that got THC had less blood vessel clogging than those that didn't. The benefit came from THC’s effect on immune system cells. It reduced their secretion of an inflammation-promoting substance by binding to proteins called CB2 receptors, which are found mostly on immune-system cells. Related work showed that there was no additional benefit from receiving higher THC doses, like those a person would get from smoking marijuana. In humans, hardening of the arteries and their inflammation sets the stage for heart attacks. |
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