{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,23]],"date-time":"2026-08-23T05:20:29Z","timestamp":1787462429833,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":112,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787270400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Romanian Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization","award":["PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-1247"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-1247"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100006472","name":"Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100006472","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03hd30t45","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction. Statins\u2019 established cardiovascular benefits are often undermined by hepatic adverse effects in obese diabetic patients with suspected non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We evaluated whether cannabis plant treatment is a safe and effective alternative to atorvastatin in a metabolically challenged rodent model. Methods. Fourteen obese and diabetic Wistar rats received either atorvastatin for 30 days or cannabis plant extract for 30 days. Main outcome: lipid profile; secondary outcomes: renal function, glycemia and endothelial health assessed through atherogenic indices. Safety was assessed using plasma liver enzyme concentrations. Results. Baseline biochemical profiles were similar between groups. Atorvastatin increased HDL-Col more than cannabis plant (MD: 44.3; IQR [33, 57.5] mg\/dL, Hedges\u2019 g 2.713 vs. MD: 14.3; IQR [14, 17] mg\/dL, Hedges\u2019 g 5.049), and cannabis plant did not change LDL-Col. Atherogenic index of plasma and Castelli Risk Index 1 improved with both interventions, more so with atorvastatin. Liver enzymes increased with atorvastatin (ALAT, MD: 15.9; IQR [12.5, 19.5] U\/L; ASAT, MD: 33; IQR [26.5, 38] U\/L) but remained virtually unchanged with cannabis. Serum creatinine increased with cannabis plant, with moderate effect size (Hedges\u2019 g 0.798), but negligibly with statins (Hedges\u2019 g 0.122). Conclusions. Cannabis plant extract modestly improved the lipid profile and atherogenic indices, with differences often not exceeding the change in control groups. Despite apparent liver safety, the undesired renal and neurological consequences limit applicability in humans. Further studies should prioritize addiction development and renal function.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life16081383","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T09:31:59Z","timestamp":1787304719000},"page":"1383","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Safety and Efficacy Assessment of Cannabis Plant Compared to Atorvastatin for Lipid Lowering in Diabetic and Obese Wistar Male Rats"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2736-9700","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Minela Aida","family":"M\u0103r\u0103nduc\u0103","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Morpho-Functional Sciences II, Discipline of Physiology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Ia\u0219i, Romania"},{"name":"Internal Medicine Clinic, \u201cSt Spiridon\u201d County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 700111 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andreea","family":"Clim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Morpho-Functional Sciences II, Discipline of Physiology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Ia\u0219i, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cDr. Iacob Czihac\u201d Military Emergency Hospital, 700483 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9465-1503","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mariana","family":"Floria","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine Clinic, \u201cSt Spiridon\u201d County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 700111 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7144-2506","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniela Maria","family":"T\u0103nase","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine Clinic, \u201cSt Spiridon\u201d County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 700111 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9868-1999","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bogdan","family":"Tamba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Centre for Research-Development in Experimental Medicine, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-4734-4509","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrei","family":"Szilagyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Centre for Research-Development in Experimental Medicine, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2131-5322","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leontina-Elena","family":"Filipiuc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Centre for Research-Development in Experimental Medicine, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-0906-3499","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Raluca","family":"Gogu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Centre for Research-Development in Experimental Medicine, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cristian Tudor","family":"Cozma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Morpho-Functional Sciences II, Discipline of Physiology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Ia\u0219i, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary"},{"name":"Cardiology Clinic, \u201cSt Spiridon\u201d County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 700111 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6642-105X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dragomir Nicolae","family":"\u0218erban","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Morpho-Functional Sciences II, Discipline of Physiology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ionela-L\u0103cr\u0103mioara","family":"\u0218erban","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Morpho-Functional Sciences II, Discipline of Physiology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Ia\u0219i, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"571","article-title":"Medications for obesity and associated metabolic dyslipidemias: Current standards and future directions","volume":"332","author":"Kushner","year":"2024","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"291","DOI":"10.1038\/s41569-020-00465-5","article-title":"Diabesity: The combined burden of obesity and diabetes on heart disease and the role of imaging","volume":"18","author":"Ng","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. 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