Effect of Cannabinoid Agonist on Gastrointestinal and Colonic Motor Functions in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Summary
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects about 15% of the U.S. population. There are still no effective and safe medications approved for the treatment of abdominal pain associated with bowel symptoms in IBS. This study will investigate the effects of an approved medication, Dronabinol, on the movement of food through the stomach and colon in subjects with a history of diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (D-IBS). Dronabinol is a synthetic medication (a medication made in a laboratory) related to the active ingredient of "cannabinoid or marijuana". Dronabinol is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for preventing nausea and vomiting in patients with cancers undergoing chemotherapy. It is also used in AIDS patients with excessive weight loss for improvement in appetite and weight gain. The hypothesis in this study is that dronabinol will slow down the movement of food through the colon, and that this effect is regulated by the genes controlling the body messengers (receptors) that respond to medicinal marijuana or synthetic medicines that work on the same messengers that are present in the gastrointestinal tract and pain nerves.
Timeline
- Start
- 2009-09
- Primary completion
- 2011-12
- Completion
- 2011-12
Publications
- Background Wong BS, Camilleri M, Busciglio I, Carlson P, Szarka LA, Burton D, Zinsmeister AR. Pharmacogenetic trial of a cannabinoid agonist shows reduced fasting colonic motility in patients with nonconstipated irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology. 2011 Nov;141(5):1638-47.e1-7. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2011.07.036. Epub 2011 Jul 29.
- Results Wong BS, Camilleri M, Eckert D, Carlson P, Ryks M, Burton D, Zinsmeister AR. Randomized pharmacodynamic and pharmacogenetic trial of dronabinol effects on colon transit in irritable bowel syndrome-diarrhea. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2012 Apr;24(4):358-e169. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2982.2011.01874.x. Epub 2012 Jan 30.
Drugs
| Evaluation | Drug | Modality | Dose | Route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Dronabinol | Other / unclassified | 2.5 mg | Oral |
| Subject | Dronabinol | Other / unclassified | 5 mg | Oral |