Routes of cannabis administration among adolescents during criminal prohibition of cannabis in Canada

Abstract

This report assesses sociodemographic correlates of cannabis routes of administration (ROAs) among adolescents in 2017, one year prior to legalization of cannabis in Canada. We analyze a subsample of 809 students (Grades 9–12) from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) who used cannabis in the previous year. Pipes/bongs/waterpipes (81.8%) are the most prevalent ROA, followed by joints (73.8%) and edibles (42%). Approximately 70% of students report 2+ ROAs. Alcohol use in the previous year is associated with 2.28 (1.3–5.58 OR; 95% CI) times the odds of food/drink ROA and 2.91 (1.10–3.89; 95% CI) times the odds of joint ROA. Tobacco use is associated with 1.60 (1.07–2.41 OR; 95% CI) times the odds of blunt ROA, 2.07 (1.10–3.89; 95% CI) times the odds of pipe/bong/waterpipe ROA, and 1.75 (1.03–2.95 OR; 95% CI) times the odds of e-cigarette/vape pen/vaporizer ROA. Students who used alcohol have a rate 1.59 (1.08–2.36 IRR; 95% CI) times greater for total ROA count, and students who used tobacco have a rate 1.24 (1.09–1.40 IRR; 95% CI) times greater. Given young people’s vulnerability to adverse outcomes associated with cannabis use, it is important to track ROA trends to inform harm reduction and educational programing and to evaluate impacts of policy changes.     

Treating Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among People Living with HIV: a Critical Review of Intervention Trials

The prevalence rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among people living with HIV (PLWH) is significantly higher than the rate among the general population. Moreover, PTS symptoms have been linked with numerous negative health-related outcomes in PLWH. While these findings suggest that studies evaluating the efficacy of treatments for PTS symptoms among PLWH are sorely needed, according to prior reviews, such studies are lacking. The purpose of the present systematic review was to provide an updated critical evaluation of treatment studies that targeted PTS among PLWH. Following PRIMSA guidelines, we searched PubMed and PsycINFO and identified eight articles (representing seven studies) evaluating the impact of various individual and group treatments on PTS symptoms. The limited evidence base to date precludes clinical recommendations for this population. Future studies should examine the efficacy of existing evidence-based treatments for PTSD among PLWH and then, if necessary, evaluate the impact of any treatment modifications for this population.     

Loss of N‐WASP drives early progression in an Apc model of intestinal tumourigenesis

N‐WASP (WASL) is a widely expressed cytoskeletal signalling and scaffold protein also implicated in regulation of Wnt signalling and homeostatic maintenance of skin epithelial architecture. N‐WASP mediates invasion of cancer cells in vitro and its depletion reduces invasion and metastatic dissemination of breast cancer. Given this role in cancer invasion and universal expression in the gastrointestinal tract, we explored a role for N‐WASP in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer. While deletion of N‐wasp is not detectably harmful in the murine intestinal tract, numbers of Paneth cells increased, indicating potential changes in the stem cell niche, and migration up the crypt–villus axis was enhanced. Loss of N‐wasp promoted adenoma formation in an adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) deletion model of intestinal tumourigenesis. Thus, we establish a tumour suppressive role of N‐WASP in early intestinal carcinogenesis despite its later pro‐invasive role in other cancers. Our study highlights that while the actin cytoskeletal machinery promotes invasion of cancer cells, it also maintains normal epithelial tissue function and thus may have tumour suppressive roles in pre‐neoplastic tissues. © 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.     

Development of a non-targeted metabolomics method to investigate urine in a rat model of polycystic kidney disease

Aim: The purpose of this research was to use metabolomics to investigate the cystic phenotype in the Lewis polycystic kidney rat. Methods: Spot urine samples were collected from four male Lewis control and five male Lewis polycystic kidney rats aged 5 weeks, before kidney function was significantly impaired. Metabolites were extracted from urine and analysed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis was used to determine key metabolites contributing to the variance observed between sample groups. Results: With the development of a metabolomics method to analyse Lewis and Lewis polycystic kidney rat urine, 2‐ketoglutaric acid, allantoin, uric acid and hippuric acid were identified as potential biomarkers of cystic disease in the rat model. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate the potential of metabolomics to further investigate kidney disease.