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We compared the effects of peripheral Freund's Complete Adjuvant (CFA) and formalin injection on spinal microglia activation. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses showed signs of microglia activation on the ipsilateral side of the lumbar dorsal horn on day 3, day 7 and day 14 after formalin injection. However, significant microglia morphological alteration was not found in the CFA model. At the injection site in the paw, CFA injection induced considerably more inflammation than formalin injection. Although spinal microglia might be activated in inflammatory pain models, morphologically, spinal microglia activation was not closely correlated with peripheral inflammation.

Objective: To study the protective effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on rats with pulmonary fibrosis and explore the possible mechanism of the use of CBD in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. Methods: Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, model group, prednisone group, CBD low, medium and high dose groups (12, 36, 108 mg/kg, ig),10 rats in each group. Except for the normal control group, the other 5 groups were all induced by tracheal injection of bleomycin to rat models of pulmonary fibrosis. After modeling, the rats were given intragastric administration once a day for 28 consecutive days and samples were taken. The degree of pulmonary edema was detected; the pathological changes of lung tissue were observed by HE and Masson staining; tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-a), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and lung tissue superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), hydroxyproline (HYP) contents were measured by ELISA, transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) and a-smooth muscle protein (a-SMA) concentration were detected by immunocytochemical method, real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) method was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of TGF-ß1,a-SMA, Nrf2 and nuclear transcription factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65). Results: The lung organ coefficient and W/D value were significantly decreased in the CBD administration group (P<0.05); medium and high doses of CBD could reduce the number of collagen fibers and fibroblasts; the pulmonary fibrosis in the low, medium, and high dose groups of CBD was significantly lower. The levels of TNF-a, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in rat serum, as well as MDA and HYP in lung tissue, were significantly lower compared to the model group. Additionally, the level of SOD was significantly increased (P<0.05); The expression of a-SMA was decreased compared with the model group (P<0.05); the contents of TGF-ß1, a-SMA and NF-κB p65 mRNA in lung tissue decreased, and the expression level of Nrf2 mRNA increased (P<0.05). Especially, the high-dose group had the most significant effect. Conclusion: CBD can significantly reduce the degree of pulmonary fibrosis in rats, and its potential mechanism may be related to inhibiting inflammatory response, enhancing antioxidant capacity and inhibiting the protein expression of TGF -ß1 and a-SMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]