4.1. Oxidative Stress
A body of research evidence indicates that CBD modifies redox balance by altering the level and activity of antioxidant molecules [
56]. Martinelli [
41] showed that higher concentrations of CBD have been shown to reduce lipid peroxidation markers and preserve antioxidant proteins. Rajesh [
58] also revels CBD reduces oxidative conditions, preventing the formation of superoxide radicals. It has also been shown to increase mRNA levels for SOD (superoxide dismutase) and certain variables responsible for the metabolism of superoxide radicals [
57]. The antioxidant and scavenger properties occur indirectly through several receptors [
4].
However, in the present study the topic use of cannabidiol did not altered the oxidative parameters evaluated (
Figure 1). The authors believed that the absence of results can be associated to to the dosage used, and it should be noted that evaluating this directly on the skin would provide more reliable results. Additionally, the potential antioxidant action of olive oil, mainly through hydroxytyrosol, may have reduced the differences between the compared groups [
68].
While there is no consensus in the literature regarding oxidative stress and canine atopic dermatitis (CAD), Kapun [
29] demonstrated not only levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in dogs affected by this syndrome but also values in healthy dogs. The MDA levels (µmol/L) found were 0.572±2.585 in atopic dogs compared to 0.477±1.298 in healthy dogs. In the present study, there was a variation in MDA levels (nmol/L) from 0.668±1.079 pre-treatment to 0.392±0.967 post-treatment with cannabis oil. Although our results did not show significance in terms of TBARS (nmol MDA/mL) levels, Kapun [
29] revealed that dogs with severe atopic dermatitis [Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI) score] exhibited increased levels of MDA in plasma, which may be correlated with elevated lipid peroxidation in CAD pathogenesis.
This study presents laboratory results as a complement to the work of Mariga [
39], which focuses on the dermatological and histopathological evaluation of the skin of atopic dogs. It is known that CBD can reduce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and damage to lipid membranes, preventing harm to cellular structure and DNA [
10]. In another study, Kapun [
28] compared the effect of vitamin E in animals with atopic dermatitis but did not find significance between the treated group and the placebo group in MDA values. Similar to the current study, it is believed that the lack of significance was due to the control group also including atopic and unhealthy animals [
29].
Kapun [
29] also reported erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) values (U/gHGB) of 1341.1±2002.5 in atopic dogs, compared to 1349.0±2209.3 in healthy dogs. In the present study, there was a variation in SOD levels (U/mg protein) from 294.8±335.6 pre-treatment to 263.8±343.283 post-treatment with cannabis oil. Even in different samples, similar to our study, Kapun [
28,
29], did not find significant values between SOD and canine atopic dermatitis (CAD). Given that SOD is an erythrocytic enzyme, we can infer that its elevation in our control group is due to the absence of healthy dogs, as in the case of the first referenced literature.
In rat studies, 10mg/kg of CBD intraperitoneal injection demonstrated antioxidant properties in cerebral ischemia by dose-dependently increasing levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) through endogenous antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation [
30]. Phyto-cannabinoids and polyphenols present in
Cannabis sativa L. have been shown to impact redox balance by altering levels of oxidants and antioxidants [
54]. Specific phytocannabinoids such as cannabigerol (CBG) can also mitigate oxidative stress, while terpenes like β-caryophyllene reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production through the NF-κB pathway, enhancing the synergistic effects of all substances in the plant [
20]. Although the specific phytocannabinoid profile of this oil is unknown, full-spectrum oils generally exhibit synergistic interactions among their constituents [
32]. The route of administration is important because oral administration undergoes first-pass metabolism, which can decrease bioavailability [
42]. More studies are necessary, mainly focusing in analysis of oxidative stress in skin to verify whether the cannabidiol can modulate oxidative stress and inflammatory condition in canine atopic dermatitis.
4.2. Interleukins
In atopic dermatitis, allergens, microorganisms, and secondary self-trauma due to itching, stimulate the release of cytokines important for inflammation from keratinocytes, which leads to alterations in corneodesmosomal function and protein junctions, further intensifying penetration and local inflammation [
18,
31]. Loewinger [
34] also found no difference in serum levels of IL-6 and IL-31 during four weeks of 2mg/kg CBD treatment in atopic dogs, but they found relief of pruritis. Consult the dermatological assessment work to check our results regarding itching [
39]. However, a group of researchers who synthesized molecules from CBD observed a significant inhibition of IL-6 levels compared to the control group [
36]. A review article [
23] revealed that CBD, CBG, or CBD:THC consistently reduced levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6, particularly in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of CB2, GPR55, and TRPA1 in T cells indicates a therapeutic target for cannabis, particularly in the involvement of these cells in the immune response of CAD, which results in a reduction in filaggrin production by keratinocytes, altering the function of the skin barrier [
12]. In a study similar to ours [
47], eight dogs treated with THC-free CBD oil at a dosage of 0.07-0.25mg/kg twice daily for eight weeks showed discrepancies between plasma C-reactive protein concentration and clinical evaluation; however, this study did not have a control group to compare the obtained data. The antagonistic action of CBD on GRP55 appears to prevent inflammation and neuropathic pain through the overexpression of endocannabinoids and IL-10 [
60].
Herrmann [
24] found no significance in the serum levels of IL-10 in untreated atopic dogs or healthy animals. Expanding on the findings of these authors, even when compared to healthy and conventionally medicated groups with oclacitinib, cyclosporine, and antigen immunotherapy, no significance was observed in IL-10 levels. A study involving 20 atopic dogs showed lower IL-10 levels compared to healthy dogs [
37], while other studies [
25,
51] revealed an upregulation of IL-10 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or skin samples. Phytocannabinoids such as CBD [
1], CBG [
7], and CBD+THC [
66] have an upregulating effect on the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, although one CBD study reported no change in this cytokine [
9].
IL-31 has been associated with diseases characterized by severe pruritus, including canine atopic dermatitis (CAD), and is also implicated in suppressing filaggrin differentiation [
38,
61]. Phytocannabinoids demonstrate a significant anti-inflammatory effect by reducing the release of pro-inflammatory interleukins, such as IL-31. However, the decrease in its expression by the anti-inflammatory action of THCV and CBGA was reversed by the blockade of the TRPV1 receptor by the binding of these phytocannabinoids and also by the inhibition of the cannabinoid degradation enzyme, MAGL [
63].
There is a report [
8] of a significant increase in IL-31 gene expression in PBMCs in atopic dogs compared to healthy ones. In this study, no significance was found between the treated group and the control group. Tamamoto-Mochizuki e Olivry [
61] state in their work the difficulty and complexity of cytokines involved in CAD given the inconsistent results obtained involving IL-10 and IL-31. The values obtained in this study align with inconsistent outcomes in the complex assessment of CAD through interleukins.
In a brief individual analysis, we found that two patients from the cannabis group (patients’ number 4 and 7) showed six positive responses out of the eight analyses performed, and other patients (number 2) met 5 of the 8 criteria. In contrast, in the control group, only one patient (number 3) showed improvement in 5 of the 8 criteria. Thus, we found that the patients in the cannabis group (3 out of 7) exhibited positive responses, meaning there was a decrease in pro-inflammatory interleukins and oxidative molecules or an increase in anti-inflammatory interleukins and antioxidant molecules. We recall that there was no significant difference between the groups and within the group itself, but the patients in the cannabis group showed more positive responses compared to the control group. The referenced data is identified (*) in
Table 3 and
Table 4.
Although Cannabis can cause suppression in inflammation in healthy individuals, this effect may not be strong enough to alter the levels of inflammatory mediators in situations of highly dysfunctional inflammatory activation [
33]. It is essential to note the difficulty in managing atopic dermatitis due to its multifactorial nature, requiring multimodal treatment for control. Therefore, even with the negative results obtained in the single therapy based on cannabis, there is a suspicion of its possible positive effects when used in conjunction with conventional and integrative therapy.
The absence of findings in the different assessments conducted in this study can be mainly justified by the fact that the animals had a dermatopathy, and these changes are primarily related to the dosage used. The small number of animals used it´s also important. Each animal’s body condition was not considered in the present study. According to the literature, phytocannabinoids are deposited in adipose tissue due to their lipophilic nature, and studies that considered this factor revealed a 20% increase in dosage for obese animals to overcome this characteristic [
15]. Oral administration may reduce the bioavailability of phytocannabinoids, and the 2.5 mg/kg dosage might not have been sufficient for an anti-inflammatory effect [
42], this is because the analyses were conducted only at the mRNA level, rather than measuring the actual amount of interleukins present in the blood. We remind you that regarding interleukins, only mRNA measurement was performed, which may result in variations in the actual amount of interleukins present in the blood, even though Loewinger [
34] also did not observe changes in the actual cytokines. Dixon and colleagues [
16] show in vitro that cannabinoids have an immunosuppressive effect through surpression of IFN-γ in canine PBMCs. However, there is no suppression of IFN-γ at the mRNA level, nor for TNF-α.
Limitations of this study include the small number of animals and the short-term nature of the therapy. However, despite the absence of significant findings in this study, cannabis oil can still be a promising option due to its various forms of intervening in the pathophysiology of this disease.