Intestinal motility cannabinoid inhibition

The endocannabinoid anandamide also inhibits intestinal motility since it was shown to reduce both charcoal transit in the upper GIT (46) and glass bead transit in distal colon (49) via cannabinoid CBi receptors. In addition, a selective inhibitor of anandamide cellular uptake, VDMII, can inhibit colonic propulsion in a SR141716A-sensitive manner. However, a less selective anandamide uptake inhibitor, AM404, appears to be inactive on small intestine motUify in mice (4,49). 

The tricyclic diterpene salvinorin A (14) is a trans-clerodane diterpenoid isolated from the Mexican plant Salvia divinorum. It acts as a kappa opioid receptor agonist and it is the first non-aUcaloid compound acting on this receptor [27]. Salvinorin A is the most potent hallucinogen isolated from plants and it is also capable of inhibiting excess intestinal motility (e.g., diarrhea), through a combination of k-opioid and cannabinoid receptors. 

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