ABSTRACT
The usefulness of marijuana has contributed to folklore and medicine for many centuries. The phenanthridine, nantradol culminated our initial efforts to design a potent, nonopiate analgetic. This is a significant finding since previous attempts utilizing a cannabinoid-based phenanthridine nucleus resulted in compounds lacking biologic activity. Several investigators have suggested a role for gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) in the mediation of morphine analgesia, but the reports have been contradictory. Prostaglandins are well recognized for their ability to produce diarrhea and emesis in man. The availability of levonantradol and dextronantradol has also facilitated the search for alternative, nonprostanoid sites of action. The animal findings of potent analgesia summarized earlier in this chapter have been confirmed in man. Levonantradol has also been studied for the control of emesis induced by cancer chemotherapy. Levonantradol, in common with other GABAergic drugs, also influences the dopaminergic and benzodiazepine systems.
