# Pulmonary Disfunction after Polysubstance Exposure: Mechanistic Identification of Inflammatory Mediators

> **NIH NIH SC2** · NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $149,000

## Abstract

Abstract
 Alcohol and marijuana (cannabinoids) are commonly abused drugs worldwide, and adolescent
co-exposure/co-abuse of these two drugs is hallmarked by high levels of co-morbidity. Both chronic
binge ethanol and cannabinoid consumption enhances the risk of acute lung injury (ALI) and both
community and health care associated pneumonia (CAP and HAP, respectively), leading to increased
morbidity and mortality. We have recently utilized a mouse model for adolescent intermittent ethanol
(AIE) and cannabinoid (AIC) exposure to examine roles of binge exposure to adult-pulmonary
inflammation, and our data suggests that that the prior polysubstance exposure leads to increased
HMGB1 expression and microbial-induced pulmonary inflammation. Interestingly, our in vitro studies
indicate that both alcohol and cannabinoids activate HMGB-1 expression from macrophage cells, and
inhibiting cannabinoid receptors CB1R and CB2R on cells inhibits HMGB-1 expression, and is
recapitulated in vivo using antagonists for CB1R. We aim to investigate CBR signaling as a potential
therapeutic direction in response to alcohol and cannabinoid-dependent pulmonary inflammation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10334101
- **Project number:** 1SC2GM144188-01
- **Recipient organization:** NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Vijay Sivaraman
- **Activity code:** SC2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $149,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-07-08 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10334101

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10334101, Pulmonary Disfunction after Polysubstance Exposure: Mechanistic Identification of Inflammatory Mediators (1SC2GM144188-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10334101. Licensed CC0.

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