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Cao JK, Detloff PJ, Gardner RG, Stella N. Sex-dependent behavioral impairments in the HdhQ350/+ mouse line. Behav Brain Res 2018; 337:34-45. [PMID: 28927719 PMCID: PMC5659761 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease characterized by gradual deterioration of motor and cognitive functions and development of psychiatric deficits. Animal models provide powerful means to study the pathological processes, molecular dysfunctions and symptoms associated with HD. We performed a longitudinal behavioral study of the newly developed HdhQ350/+ mouse line, a knock-in model that expresses a repeat of 350 glutamines. We found remarkable sex-dependent differences on symptom onset and severity. While both sexes lose weight and grip strength, only HdhQ350/+ males have impaired motor coordination as measured by the rotarod and alterations in gait as measured by the catwalk assay. While HdhQ350/+ females do not exhibit impairment in motor coordination, we found a reduction in dark phase locomotor activity. Male and female HdhQ350/+ mice do not show anxiety as measured by the elevated plus maze or changes in exploration as measured by the open field test. To investigate these sex-dependent differences, we performed western blot analyses of striatal tissue. We measured equal mutant huntingtin protein expression in both sexes and found evidence of aggregation. We found the expected decrease of DARPP-32 expression only in female HdhQ350/+ mice. Remarkably, we found no evidence of reduction in synaptophysin or CB1 receptors in HdhQ350/+ tissue of either sex. Our study indicates that male and female HdhQ350/+ mice differentially recapitulate select behavioral impairments commonly measured in other HD mouse models with limited sex-dependent changes in recognized histopathological markers. We conclude that expanded polyglutamine repeats influence HD pathogenesis in a sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K Cao
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Peter J Detloff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, United States
| | - Richard G Gardner
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Nephi Stella
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States.
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Bagher AM, Laprairie RB, Kelly MEM, Denovan-Wright EM. Methods to Quantify Cell Signaling and GPCR Receptor Ligand Bias: Characterization of Drugs that Target the Endocannabinoid Receptors in Huntington's Disease. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1780:549-571. [PMID: 29856035 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7825-0_25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) interact with multiple intracellular effector proteins such that different ligands may preferentially activate one signal pathway over others, a phenomenon known as signaling bias. Signaling bias can be quantified to optimize drug selection for preclinical research. Here, we describe moderate-throughput methods to quantify signaling bias of known and novel compounds. In the example provided, we describe a method to define cannabinoid-signaling bias in a cell culture model of Huntington's disease (HD). Decreasing type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1) levels is correlated with chorea and cognitive deficits in HD. There is evidence that elevating CB1 levels and/or signaling may be beneficial for HD patients while decreasing CB1 levels and/or signaling may be detrimental. Recent studies have found that Gαi/o-biased CB1 agonists activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), increase CB1 protein levels, and improve viability of cells expressing mutant huntingtin. In contrast, CB1 agonists that are β-arrestin1-biased were found to reduce CB1 protein levels and cell viability. Measuring agonist bias of known and novel CB1 agonists will provide important data that predict CB1-specific agonists that might be beneficial in animal models of HD and, following animal testing, in HD patients. This method can also be applied to study signaling bias for other GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amina M Bagher
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, KSA, Saudi Arabia
| | - Robert B Laprairie
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.,College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Melanie E M Kelly
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.,Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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Chiurchiù V, van der Stelt M, Centonze D, Maccarrone M. The endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic exploitation in multiple sclerosis: Clues for other neuroinflammatory diseases. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 160:82-100. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2017.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Reduced cell size, chromosomal aberration and altered proliferation rates are characteristics and confounding factors in the STHdh cell model of Huntington disease. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16880. [PMID: 29203806 PMCID: PMC5715050 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17275-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the gene encoding the huntingtin protein. Expression of the mutant protein disrupts various intracellular pathways and impairs overall cell function. In particular striatal neurons seem to be most vulnerable to mutant huntingtin-related changes. A well-known and commonly used model to study molecular aspects of Huntington disease are the striatum-derived STHdh cell lines generated from wild type and huntingtin knock-in mouse embryos. However, obvious morphological differences between wild type and mutant cell lines exist, which have rarely been described and might not have always been considered when designing experiments or interpreting results. Here, we demonstrate that STHdh cell lines display differences in cell size, proliferation rate and chromosomal content. While the chromosomal divergence is considered to be a result of the cells’ tumour characteristics, differences in size and proliferation, however, were confirmed in a second non-immortalized Huntington disease cell model. Importantly, our results further suggest that the reported phenotypes can confound other study outcomes and lead to false conclusions. Thus, careful experimental design and data analysis are advised when using these cell models.
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Nadal X, del Río C, Casano S, Palomares B, Ferreiro‐Vera C, Navarrete C, Sánchez‐Carnerero C, Cantarero I, Bellido ML, Meyer S, Morello G, Appendino G, Muñoz E. Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid is a potent PPARγ agonist with neuroprotective activity. Br J Pharmacol 2017; 174:4263-4276. [PMID: 28853159 PMCID: PMC5731255 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Phytocannabinoids are produced in Cannabis sativa L. in acidic form and are decarboxylated upon heating, processing and storage. While the biological effects of decarboxylated cannabinoids such as Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol have been extensively investigated, the bioactivity of Δ9 -tetahydrocannabinol acid (Δ9 -THCA) is largely unknown, despite its occurrence in different Cannabis preparations. Here we have assessed possible neuroprotective actions of Δ9 -THCA through modulation of PPARγ pathways. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The effects of six phytocannabinoids on PPARγ binding and transcriptional activity were investigated. The effect of Δ9 -THCA on mitochondrial biogenesis and PPARγ coactivator 1-α expression was investigated in Neuro-2a (N2a) cells. The neuroprotective effect was analysed in STHdhQ111/Q111 cells expressing a mutated form of the huntingtin protein and in N2a cells infected with an adenovirus carrying human huntingtin containing 94 polyQ repeats (mHtt-q94). The in vivo neuroprotective activity of Δ9 -THCA was investigated in mice intoxicated with the mitochondrial toxin 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA). KEY RESULTS Cannabinoid acids bind and activate PPARγ with higher potency than their decarboxylated products. Δ9 -THCA increased mitochondrial mass in neuroblastoma N2a cells and prevented cytotoxicity induced by serum deprivation in STHdhQ111/Q111 cells and by mutHtt-q94 in N2a cells. Δ9 -THCA, through a PPARγ-dependent pathway, was neuroprotective in mice treated with 3-NPA, improving motor deficits and preventing striatal degeneration. In addition, Δ9 -THCA attenuated microgliosis, astrogliosis and up-regulation of proinflammatory markers induced by 3-NPA. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Δ9 -THCA shows potent neuroprotective activity, which is worth considering for the treatment of Huntington's disease and possibly other neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carmen del Río
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, Departamento de Biología Celular, Fisiología e InmunologíaHospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Universidad de CórdobaCórdobaSpain
| | | | - Belén Palomares
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, Departamento de Biología Celular, Fisiología e InmunologíaHospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Universidad de CórdobaCórdobaSpain
| | | | | | | | - Irene Cantarero
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, Departamento de Biología Celular, Fisiología e InmunologíaHospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Universidad de CórdobaCórdobaSpain
| | | | | | | | - Giovanni Appendino
- Dipartimento di Scienze del FarmacoUniversità del Piemonte OrientaleNovaraItaly
| | - Eduardo Muñoz
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, Departamento de Biología Celular, Fisiología e InmunologíaHospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Universidad de CórdobaCórdobaSpain
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Endocannabinoid-Specific Impairment in Synaptic Plasticity in Striatum of Huntington's Disease Mouse Model. J Neurosci 2017; 38:544-554. [PMID: 29192125 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1739-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease affecting predominantly striatum and cortex that results in motor and cognitive disorders. Before a motor phenotype, animal models of HD show aberrant cortical-striatal glutamate signaling. Here, we tested synaptic plasticity of cortical excitatory synapses onto striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) early in the YAC128 mouse model of HD. High-frequency stimulation-induced long-term depression, mediated by the endocannabinoid anandamide and cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1), was significantly attenuated in male and female YAC128 SPNs. Indirect pathway SPNs, which are more vulnerable in HD, were most affected. Our experiments show metabotropic glutamate receptor and endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol-dependent plasticity, as well as direct CB1 activation by agonists, was similar in YAC128 and FVB/N wild-type SPNs suggesting that presynaptic CB1 is functioning normally. These results are consistent with a specific impairment in postsynaptic anandamide synthesis in YAC128 SPN. Strikingly, although suppression of degradation of anandamide was not effective, elevating 2-arachidonoylglycerol levels restored long-term depression in YAC128 striatal neurons. Together, these results have potential implications for neuroprotection and ameliorating early cognitive and motor deficits in HD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease with no cure. Recent studies find impairment of the endocannabinoid system in animal models but the functional implication for synaptic plasticity in HD remains unclear. Sepers et al. show a selective deficit in synaptic plasticity mediated by the endocannabinoid anandamide, but not 2-arachidonoylglycerol in a mouse model of HD. The deficit is rescued by selectively elevating levels of 2-arachidonoylglycerol produced on-demand. This mechanism could be targeted in the development of future therapeutics for HD.
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Aguilera G, Santamaria A. Potential Therapeutic Targets of the Endocannabinoid System in Common Neurodegenerative Disorders and Organic Acidemias. JOURNAL OF INBORN ERRORS OF METABOLISM AND SCREENING 2017. [DOI: 10.1177/2326409817723667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Aguilera
- Laboratorio de Aminoácidos Excitadores, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City, Mexico
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Abel Santamaria
- Laboratorio de Aminoácidos Excitadores, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City, Mexico
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Sustained Gq-Protein Signaling Disrupts Striatal Circuits via JNK. J Neurosci 2017; 36:10611-10624. [PMID: 27733612 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1192-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The dorsal striatum is a major input structure of the basal ganglia and plays a key role in the control of vital processes such as motor behavior, cognition, and motivation. The functionality of striatal neurons is tightly controlled by various metabotropic receptors. Whereas the Gs/Gi-protein-dependent tuning of striatal neurons is fairly well known, the precise impact and underlying mechanism of Gq-protein-dependent signals remain poorly understood. Here, using different experimental approaches, especially designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drug (DREADD) chemogenetic technology, we found that sustained activation of Gq-protein signaling impairs the functionality of striatal neurons and we unveil the precise molecular mechanism underlying this process: a phospholipase C/Ca2+/proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2/cJun N-terminal kinase pathway. Moreover, engagement of this intracellular signaling route was functionally active in the mouse dorsal striatum in vivo, as proven by the disruption of neuronal integrity and behavioral tasks. To analyze this effect anatomically, we manipulated Gq-protein-dependent signaling selectively in neurons belonging to the direct or indirect striatal pathway. Acute Gq-protein activation in direct-pathway or indirect-pathway neurons produced an enhancement or a decrease, respectively, of activity-dependent parameters. In contrast, sustained Gq-protein activation impaired the functionality of direct-pathway and indirect-pathway neurons and disrupted the behavioral performance and electroencephalography-related activity tasks controlled by either anatomical framework. Collectively, these findings define the molecular mechanism and functional relevance of Gq-protein-driven signals in striatal circuits under normal and overactivated states. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The dorsal striatum is a major input structure of the basal ganglia and plays a key role in the control of vital processes such as motor behavior, cognition, and motivation. Whereas the Gs/Gi-protein-dependent tuning of striatal neurons is fairly well known, the precise impact and underlying mechanism of Gq-protein-dependent signals remain unclear. Here, we show that striatal circuits can be "turned on" by acute Gq-protein signaling or "turned off" by sustained Gq-protein signaling. Specifically, sustained Gq-protein signaling inactivates striatal neurons by an intracellular pathway that relies on cJun N-terminal kinase. Overall, this study sheds new light onto the molecular mechanism and functional relevance of Gq-protein-driven signals in striatal circuits under normal and overactivated states.
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Basavarajappa BS, Shivakumar M, Joshi V, Subbanna S. Endocannabinoid system in neurodegenerative disorders. J Neurochem 2017; 142:624-648. [PMID: 28608560 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Most neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) are characterized by cognitive impairment and other neurological defects. The definite cause of and pathways underlying the progression of these NDDs are not well-defined. Several mechanisms have been proposed to contribute to the development of NDDs. These mechanisms may proceed concurrently or successively, and they differ among cell types at different developmental stages in distinct brain regions. The endocannabinoid system, which involves cannabinoid receptors type 1 (CB1R) and type 2 (CB2R), endogenous cannabinoids and the enzymes that catabolize these compounds, has been shown to contribute to the development of NDDs in several animal models and human studies. In this review, we discuss the functions of the endocannabinoid system in NDDs and converse the therapeutic efficacy of targeting the endocannabinoid system to rescue NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balapal S Basavarajappa
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, USA.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York City, New York, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Madhu Shivakumar
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, USA
| | - Vikram Joshi
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, USA
| | - Shivakumar Subbanna
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, USA
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Altered striatal endocannabinoid signaling in a transgenic mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type-3. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176521. [PMID: 28448548 PMCID: PMC5407801 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type-3 (SCA-3) is the most prevalent autosomal dominant inherited ataxia. We recently found that the endocannabinoid system is altered in the post-mortem cerebellum of SCA-3 patients, and similar results were also found in the cerebellar and brainstem nuclei of a SCA-3 transgenic mouse model. Given that the neuropathology of SCA-3 is not restricted to these two brain regions but rather, it is also evident in other structures (e.g., the basal ganglia), we studied the possible changes to endocannabinoid signaling in the striatum of these transgenic mice. SCA-3 mutant mice suffer defects in motor coordination, balance and they have an abnormal gait, reflecting a cerebellar/brainstem neuropathology. However, they also show dystonia-like behavior (limb clasping) that may be related to the malfunction/deterioration of specific neurons in the striatum. Indeed, we found a loss of striatal projecting neurons in SCA-3 mutant mice, accompanied by a reduction in glial glutamate transporters that could potentially aggravate excitotoxic damage. In terms of endocannabinoid signaling, no changes in CB2 receptors were evident, yet an important reduction in CB1 receptors was detected by qPCR and immunostaining. The reduction in CB1 receptors was presumed to occur in striatal afferent and efferent neurons, also potentially aggravating excitotoxicity. We also measured the endocannabinoid lipids in the striatum and despite a marked increase in the FAAH enzyme in this area, no overall changes in these lipids were found. Collectively, these studies confirm that the striatal endocannabinoid system is altered in SCA-3 mutant mice, adding to the equivalent changes found in other strongly affected CNS structures in this type of ataxia (i.e.: the cerebellum and brainstem). These data open the way to search for drugs that might correct these changes.
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Pasquarelli N, Engelskirchen M, Hanselmann J, Endres S, Porazik C, Bayer H, Buck E, Karsak M, Weydt P, Ferger B, Witting A. Evaluation of monoacylglycerol lipase as a therapeutic target in a transgenic mouse model of ALS. Neuropharmacology 2017; 124:157-169. [PMID: 28373073 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of the motor neuron system with limited therapeutic options. While an increasing number of ALS patients can be linked to a small number of autosomal-dominantly inherited cases, most cases are termed sporadic. Both forms are clinically and histopathologically indistinguishable, raising the prospect that they share key pathogenic steps, including potential therapeutic intervention points. The endocannabinoid system is emerging as a versatile, druggable therapeutic target in the CNS and its dysregulation is an early hallmark of neurodegeneration. Whether this is a defense mechanism or part of the pathogenesis remains to be determined. The neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), which is degraded by monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), accumulates in the spinal cords of transgenic models of ALS. We tested the hypothesis that this 2-AG increase is a protective response in the low-copy SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS. We show that oral application of the MAGL inhibitor KML29 delays disease onset, progression and survival. Furthermore, we could demonstrate that KML29 reduced proinflammatory cytokines and increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression levels in the spinal cord, the major site of neurodegeneration in ALS. Moreover, treatment of primary mouse neurons and primary mousecroglia with 2-AG confirmed the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory action by increasing BDNF and arginase-1 and decreasing proinflammatory cytokines in vitro. In summary, we show that elevating 2-AG levels by MAGL inhibition is a therapeutic target in ALS and demonstrate that the endocannabinoid defense mechanisms can be exploited therapeutically in neurodegenerative diseases. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "A New Dawn in Cannabinoid Neurobiology".
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Pasquarelli
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, D-89081 Ulm, Germany; CNS Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, D-88400 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Michael Engelskirchen
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Johannes Hanselmann
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sascha Endres
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Christoph Porazik
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, D-89081 Ulm, Germany; CNS Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, D-88400 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Hanna Bayer
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Eva Buck
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Meliha Karsak
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081 Ulm, Germany; Neuronal and Cellular Signal Transduction, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistr. 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Weydt
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, D-89081 Ulm, Germany; Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, D-89081 Ulm, Germany; Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Gerontopsychiatry/Neurology, Bonn University, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, D-53127 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Boris Ferger
- CNS Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, D-88400 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Anke Witting
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
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Valdeolivas S, Sagredo O, Delgado M, Pozo MA, Fernández-Ruiz J. Effects of a Sativex-Like Combination of Phytocannabinoids on Disease Progression in R6/2 Mice, an Experimental Model of Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18040684. [PMID: 28333097 PMCID: PMC5412270 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18040684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Several cannabinoids afforded neuroprotection in experimental models of Huntington’s disease (HD). We investigated whether a 1:1 combination of botanical extracts enriched in either ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC) or cannabidiol (CBD), which are the main constituents of the cannabis-based medicine Sativex®, is beneficial in R6/2 mice (a transgenic model of HD), as it was previously shown to have positive effects in neurotoxin-based models of HD. We recorded the progression of neurological deficits and the extent of striatal deterioration, using behavioral, in vivo imaging, and biochemical methods in R6/2 mice and their corresponding wild-type mice. The mice were daily treated, starting at 4 weeks after birth, with a Sativex-like combination of phytocannabinoids (equivalent to 3 mg/kg weight of pure CBD + ∆9-THC) or vehicle. R6/2 mice exhibited the characteristic deterioration in rotarod performance that initiated at 6 weeks and progressed up to 10 weeks, and elevated clasping behavior reflecting dystonia. Treatment with the Sativex-like combination of phytocannabinoids did not recover rotarod performance, but markedly attenuated clasping behavior. The in vivo positron emission tomography (PET) analysis of R6/2 animals at 10 weeks revealed a reduced metabolic activity in the basal ganglia, which was partially attenuated by treatment with the Sativex-like combination of phytocannabinoids. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H+-MRS) analysis of the ex vivo striatum of R6/2 mice at 12 weeks revealed changes in various prognostic markers reflecting events typically found in HD patients and animal models, such as energy failure, mitochondrial dysfunction, and excitotoxicity. Some of these changes (taurine/creatine, taurine/N-acetylaspartate, and N-acetylaspartate/choline ratios) were completely reversed by treatment with the Sativex-like combination of phytocannabinoids. A Sativex-like combination of phytocannabinoids administered to R6/2 mice at the onset of motor symptoms produced certain benefits on the progression of striatal deterioration in these mice, which supports the interest of this cannabinoid-based medicine for the treatment of disease progression in HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Valdeolivas
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Onintza Sagredo
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Mercedes Delgado
- Unidad de Cartografía Cerebral, Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Miguel A Pozo
- Unidad de Cartografía Cerebral, Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Javier Fernández-Ruiz
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Huang Y, Todd N, Thathiah A. The role of GPCRs in neurodegenerative diseases: avenues for therapeutic intervention. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2017; 32:96-110. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2017.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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64
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Cannabinoids as Regulators of Neural Development and Adult Neurogenesis. STEM CELL BIOLOGY AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-49343-5_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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65
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Laprairie RB, Bagher AM, Denovan-Wright EM. Cannabinoid receptor ligand bias: implications in the central nervous system. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2016; 32:32-43. [PMID: 27835801 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2016.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The G protein-coupled cannabinoid receptors CB1, CB2, GPR18, and GPR55 regulate neurotransmission, pain, and inflammation and have been intensively investigated as potential drug targets. Each of these GPCRs is coupled to multiple effector proteins mediating divergent cellular signals. The ligand bias of cannabinoid-targeted compounds is only beginning to be quantified. Research into cannabinoid bias is now revealing correlations between bias in cell culture and functional outcomes in vivo. We present an example study of cannabinoid bias in the context of Huntington disease. In future, an understanding of cannabinoid receptor structure and quantification of ligand bias will optimize drug selection matched to patient population and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert B Laprairie
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Amina M Bagher
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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66
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Ligresti A, De Petrocellis L, Di Marzo V. From Phytocannabinoids to Cannabinoid Receptors and Endocannabinoids: Pleiotropic Physiological and Pathological Roles Through Complex Pharmacology. Physiol Rev 2016; 96:1593-659. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00002.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Apart from having been used and misused for at least four millennia for, among others, recreational and medicinal purposes, the cannabis plant and its most peculiar chemical components, the plant cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids), have the merit to have led humanity to discover one of the most intriguing and pleiotropic endogenous signaling systems, the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This review article aims to describe and critically discuss, in the most comprehensive possible manner, the multifaceted aspects of 1) the pharmacology and potential impact on mammalian physiology of all major phytocannabinoids, and not only of the most famous one Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and 2) the adaptive pro-homeostatic physiological, or maladaptive pathological, roles of the ECS in mammalian cells, tissues, and organs. In doing so, we have respected the chronological order of the milestones of the millennial route from medicinal/recreational cannabis to the ECS and beyond, as it is now clear that some of the early steps in this long path, which were originally neglected, are becoming important again. The emerging picture is rather complex, but still supports the belief that more important discoveries on human physiology, and new therapies, might come in the future from new knowledge in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Ligresti
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Comprensorio Olivetti, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Luciano De Petrocellis
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Comprensorio Olivetti, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Di Marzo
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Comprensorio Olivetti, Pozzuoli, Italy
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67
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Coccurello R, Bisogno T. The bright side of psychoactive substances: cannabinoid-based drugs in motor diseases. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2016; 9:1351-1362. [DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2016.1209111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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VCE-003.2, a novel cannabigerol derivative, enhances neuronal progenitor cell survival and alleviates symptomatology in murine models of Huntington's disease. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29789. [PMID: 27430371 PMCID: PMC4949444 DOI: 10.1038/srep29789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoids have shown to exert neuroprotective actions in animal models by acting at different targets including canonical cannabinoid receptors and PPARγ. We previously showed that VCE-003, a cannabigerol (CBG) quinone derivative, is a novel neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory cannabinoid acting through PPARγ. We have now generated a non-thiophilic VCE-003 derivative named VCE-003.2 that preserves the ability to activate PPARγ and analyzed its neuroprotective activity. This compound exerted a prosurvival action in progenitor cells during neuronal differentiation, which was prevented by a PPARγ antagonist, without affecting neural progenitor cell proliferation. In addition, VCE-003.2 attenuated quinolinic acid (QA)-induced cell death and caspase-3 activation and also reduced mutant huntingtin aggregates in striatal cells. The neuroprotective profile of VCE-003.2 was analyzed using in vivo models of striatal neurodegeneration induced by QA and 3-nitropropionic acid (3NP) administration. VCE-003.2 prevented medium spiny DARPP32+ neuronal loss in these Huntington’s-like disease mice models improving motor deficits, reactive astrogliosis and microglial activation. In the 3NP model VCE-003.2 inhibited the upregulation of proinflammatory markers and improved antioxidant defenses in the brain. These data lead us to consider VCE-003.2 to have high potential for the treatment of Huntington’s disease (HD) and other neurodegenerative diseases with neuroinflammatory traits.
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Chiarlone A, Börner C, Martín-Gómez L, Jiménez-González A, García-Concejo A, García-Bermejo ML, Lorente M, Blázquez C, García-Taboada E, de Haro A, Martella E, Höllt V, Rodríguez R, Galve-Roperh I, Kraus J, Guzmán M. MicroRNA let-7d is a target of cannabinoid CB1 receptor and controls cannabinoid signaling. Neuropharmacology 2016; 108:345-52. [PMID: 27179908 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cannabinoid CB1 receptor, the molecular target of endocannabinoids and cannabis active components, is one of the most abundant metabotropic receptors in the brain. Cannabis is widely used for both recreational and medicinal purposes. Despite the ever-growing fundamental roles of microRNAs in the brain, the possible molecular connections between the CB1 receptor and microRNAs are surprisingly unknown. Here, by using reporter gene constructs that express interaction sequences for microRNAs in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, we show that CB1 receptor activation enhances the expression of several microRNAs, including let-7d. This was confirmed by measuring hsa-let-7d expression levels. Accordingly, knocking-down CB1 receptor in zebrafish reduced dre-let-7d levels, and knocking-out CB1 receptor in mice decreased mmu-let-7d levels in the cortex, striatum and hippocampus. Conversely, knocking-down let-7d increased CB1 receptor mRNA expression in zebrafish, SH-SY5Y cells and primary striatal neurons. Likewise, in primary striatal neurons chronically exposed to a cannabinoid or opioid agonist, a let-7d-inhibiting sequence facilitated not only cannabinoid or opioid signaling but also cannabinoid/opioid cross-signaling. Taken together, these findings provide the first evidence for a bidirectional link between the CB1 receptor and a microRNA, namely let-7d, and thus unveil a new player in the complex process of cannabinoid action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Chiarlone
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Christine Börner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Laura Martín-Gómez
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ada Jiménez-González
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Adrián García-Concejo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | | | - Mar Lorente
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Blázquez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena García-Taboada
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Amador de Haro
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Elisa Martella
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Volker Höllt
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Raquel Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ismael Galve-Roperh
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jürgen Kraus
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Manuel Guzmán
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain.
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70
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A double-blind, randomized, cross-over, placebo-controlled, pilot trial with Sativex in Huntington’s disease. J Neurol 2016; 263:1390-400. [DOI: 10.1007/s00415-016-8145-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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71
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Laprairie RB, Bagher AM, Kelly MEM, Denovan-Wright EM. Biased Type 1 Cannabinoid Receptor Signaling Influences Neuronal Viability in a Cell Culture Model of Huntington Disease. Mol Pharmacol 2015; 89:364-75. [PMID: 26700564 DOI: 10.1124/mol.115.101980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is an inherited, autosomal dominant, neurodegenerative disorder with limited treatment options. Prior to motor symptom onset or neuronal cell loss in HD, levels of the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1) decrease in the basal ganglia. Decreasing CB1 levels are strongly correlated with chorea and cognitive deficit. CB1 agonists are functionally selective (biased) for divergent signaling pathways. In this study, six cannabinoids were tested for signaling bias in in vitro models of medium spiny projection neurons expressing wild-type (STHdh(Q7/Q7)) or mutant huntingtin protein (STHdh(Q111/Q111)). Signaling bias was assessed using the Black and Leff operational model. Relative activity [ΔlogR (τ/KA)] and system bias (ΔΔlogR) were calculated relative to the reference compound WIN55,212-2 for Gαi/o, Gαs, Gαq, Gβγ, and β-arrestin1 signaling following treatment with 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), anandamide (AEA), CP55,940, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and THC+CBD (1:1), and compared between wild-type and HD cells. The Emax of Gαi/o-dependent extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling was 50% lower in HD cells compared with wild-type cells. 2-AG and AEA displayed Gαi/o/Gβγ bias and normalized CB1 protein levels and improved cell viability, whereas CP55,940 and THC displayed β-arrestin1 bias and reduced CB1 protein levels and cell viability in HD cells. CBD was not a CB1 agonist but inhibited THC-dependent signaling (THC+CBD). Therefore, enhancing Gαi/o-biased endocannabinoid signaling may be therapeutically beneficial in HD. In contrast, cannabinoids that are β-arrestin-biased--such as THC found at high levels in modern varieties of marijuana--may be detrimental to CB1 signaling, particularly in HD where CB1 levels are already reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert B Laprairie
- Departments of Pharmacology and Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Amina M Bagher
- Departments of Pharmacology and Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Melanie E M Kelly
- Departments of Pharmacology and Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Eileen M Denovan-Wright
- Departments of Pharmacology and Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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72
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Fernández-Ruiz J, Romero J, Ramos JA. Endocannabinoids and Neurodegenerative Disorders: Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Chorea, Alzheimer's Disease, and Others. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2015; 231:233-59. [PMID: 26408163 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-20825-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This review focuses on the role of the endocannabinoid signaling system in controlling neuronal survival, an extremely important issue to be considered when developing new therapies for neurodegenerative disorders. First, we will describe the cellular and molecular mechanisms, and the signaling pathways, underlying these neuroprotective properties, including the control of glutamate homeostasis, calcium influx, the toxicity of reactive oxygen species, glial activation and other inflammatory events; and the induction of autophagy. We will then concentrate on the preclinical studies and the few clinical trials that have been carried out targeting endocannabinoid signaling in three important chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorders (Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, and Alzheimer's disease), as well as in other less well-studied disorders. We will end by offering some ideas and proposals for future research that should be carried out to optimize endocannabinoid-based treatments for these disorders. Such studies will strengthen the possibility that these therapies will be investigated in the clinical scenario and licensed for their use in specific disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Fernández-Ruiz
- Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular III, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Julián Romero
- Laboratorio de Apoyo a la Investigación, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias Biosanitarias, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain
| | - José A Ramos
- Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular III, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
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Fernández-Ruiz J, Moro MA, Martínez-Orgado J. Cannabinoids in Neurodegenerative Disorders and Stroke/Brain Trauma: From Preclinical Models to Clinical Applications. Neurotherapeutics 2015; 12:793-806. [PMID: 26260390 PMCID: PMC4604192 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-015-0381-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoids form a singular family of plant-derived compounds (phytocannabinoids), endogenous signaling lipids (endocannabinoids), and synthetic derivatives with multiple biological effects and therapeutic applications in the central and peripheral nervous systems. One of these properties is the regulation of neuronal homeostasis and survival, which is the result of the combination of a myriad of effects addressed to preserve, rescue, repair, and/or replace neurons, and also glial cells against multiple insults that may potentially damage these cells. These effects are facilitated by the location of specific targets for the action of these compounds (e.g., cannabinoid type 1 and 2 receptors, endocannabinoid inactivating enzymes, and nonendocannabinoid targets) in key cellular substrates (e.g., neurons, glial cells, and neural progenitor cells). This potential is promising for acute and chronic neurodegenerative pathological conditions. In this review, we will collect all experimental evidence, mainly obtained at the preclinical level, supporting that different cannabinoid compounds may be neuroprotective in adult and neonatal ischemia, brain trauma, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This increasing experimental evidence demands a prompt clinical validation of cannabinoid-based medicines for the treatment of all these disorders, which, at present, lack efficacious treatments for delaying/arresting disease progression, despite the fact that the few clinical trials conducted so far with these medicines have failed to demonstrate beneficial effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Fernández-Ruiz
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.
| | - María A Moro
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain
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Mounsey RB, Mustafa S, Robinson L, Ross RA, Riedel G, Pertwee RG, Teismann P. Increasing levels of the endocannabinoid 2-AG is neuroprotective in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Exp Neurol 2015; 273:36-44. [PMID: 26244281 PMCID: PMC4654430 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common chronic neurodegenerative disorder, usually of idiopathic origin. Symptoms including tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity and postural instability are caused by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal region of the brain. Symptomatic therapies are available but no treatment slows or prevents the loss of neurons. Neuroinflammation has been implicated in its pathogenesis. To this end, the present study utilises the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) neurotoxin to reproduce the pattern of cell death evident in PD patients. Herein, the role of a potential regulator of an immune response, the endocannabinoid system (ECS), is investigated. The most prevalent endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) (3 and 5 mg/kg), was added exogenously and its enzymatic degradation inhibited to provide protection against MPTP-induced cell death. Furthermore, the addition of DFU (25 mg/kg), a selective inhibitor of inflammatory mediator cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), potentiated these effects. Levels of 2-AG were shown to be upregulated in a time- and region-specific manner following MPTP administration, indicating that the ECS represents a natural defence mechanism against inflammation, potentiation of which could provide therapeutic benefits. The results expand the current understanding of the role that this signalling system has and its potential influence in PD. We investigate the role of 2-AG in a model of Parkinson's disease. 2-AG and inhibition of its metabolism by JZL184 protected against MPTP toxicity. A combination of JZL184 with a COX-2 inhibitor increased the effect. Manipulation of endocannabinoid levels might be useful for Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross B Mounsey
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD Scotland, UK
| | - Sarah Mustafa
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD Scotland, UK
| | - Lianne Robinson
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD Scotland, UK; Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 9SY Scotland, UK
| | - Ruth A Ross
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A, Canada
| | - Gernot Riedel
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD Scotland, UK
| | - Roger G Pertwee
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD Scotland, UK
| | - Peter Teismann
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD Scotland, UK.
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75
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Baron EP. Comprehensive Review of Medicinal Marijuana, Cannabinoids, and Therapeutic Implications in Medicine and Headache: What a Long Strange Trip It's Been …. Headache 2015; 55:885-916. [PMID: 26015168 DOI: 10.1111/head.12570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of cannabis, or marijuana, for medicinal purposes is deeply rooted though history, dating back to ancient times. It once held a prominent position in the history of medicine, recommended by many eminent physicians for numerous diseases, particularly headache and migraine. Through the decades, this plant has taken a fascinating journey from a legal and frequently prescribed status to illegal, driven by political and social factors rather than by science. However, with an abundance of growing support for its multitude of medicinal uses, the misguided stigma of cannabis is fading, and there has been a dramatic push for legalizing medicinal cannabis and research. Almost half of the United States has now legalized medicinal cannabis, several states have legalized recreational use, and others have legalized cannabidiol-only use, which is one of many therapeutic cannabinoids extracted from cannabis. Physicians need to be educated on the history, pharmacology, clinical indications, and proper clinical use of cannabis, as patients will inevitably inquire about it for many diseases, including chronic pain and headache disorders for which there is some intriguing supportive evidence. OBJECTIVE To review the history of medicinal cannabis use, discuss the pharmacology and physiology of the endocannabinoid system and cannabis-derived cannabinoids, perform a comprehensive literature review of the clinical uses of medicinal cannabis and cannabinoids with a focus on migraine and other headache disorders, and outline general clinical practice guidelines. CONCLUSION The literature suggests that the medicinal use of cannabis may have a therapeutic role for a multitude of diseases, particularly chronic pain disorders including headache. Supporting literature suggests a role for medicinal cannabis and cannabinoids in several types of headache disorders including migraine and cluster headache, although it is primarily limited to case based, anecdotal, or laboratory-based scientific research. Cannabis contains an extensive number of pharmacological and biochemical compounds, of which only a minority are understood, so many potential therapeutic uses likely remain undiscovered. Cannabinoids appear to modulate and interact at many pathways inherent to migraine, triptan mechanisms ofaction, and opiate pathways, suggesting potential synergistic or similar benefits. Modulation of the endocannabinoid system through agonism or antagonism of its receptors, targeting its metabolic pathways, or combining cannabinoids with other analgesics for synergistic effects, may provide the foundation for many new classes of medications. Despite the limited evidence and research suggesting a role for cannabis and cannabinoids in some headache disorders, randomized clinical trials are lacking and necessary for confirmation and further evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric P Baron
- Department of Neurology, Headache Center, Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA
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76
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Tuckfield C. First use of creatine hydrochloride in premanifest Huntington disease. Med J Aust 2015; 202:378-80. [PMID: 25877121 DOI: 10.5694/mja14.01070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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77
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Blázquez C, Chiarlone A, Bellocchio L, Resel E, Pruunsild P, García-Rincón D, Sendtner M, Timmusk T, Lutz B, Galve-Roperh I, Guzmán M. The CB₁ cannabinoid receptor signals striatal neuroprotection via a PI3K/Akt/mTORC1/BDNF pathway. Cell Death Differ 2015; 22:1618-29. [PMID: 25698444 PMCID: PMC4563779 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2015.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The CB1 cannabinoid receptor, the main molecular target of endocannabinoids and cannabis active components, is the most abundant G protein-coupled receptor in the mammalian brain. In particular, the CB1 receptor is highly expressed in the basal ganglia, mostly on terminals of medium-sized spiny neurons, where it plays a key neuromodulatory function. The CB1 receptor also confers neuroprotection in various experimental models of striatal damage. However, the assessment of the physiological relevance and therapeutic potential of the CB1 receptor in basal ganglia-related diseases is hampered, at least in part, by the lack of knowledge of the precise mechanism of CB1 receptor neuroprotective activity. Here, by using an array of pharmacological, genetic and pharmacogenetic (designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drug) approaches, we show that (1) CB1 receptor engagement protects striatal cells from excitotoxic death via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 pathway, which, in turn, (2) induces brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression through the selective activation of BDNF gene promoter IV, an effect that is mediated by multiple transcription factors. To assess the possible functional impact of the CB1/BDNF axis in a neurodegenerative-disease context in vivo, we conducted experiments in the R6/2 mouse, a well-established model of Huntington's disease, in which the CB1 receptor and BDNF are known to be severely downregulated in the dorsolateral striatum. Adeno-associated viral vector-enforced re-expression of the CB1 receptor in the dorsolateral striatum of R6/2 mice allowed the re-expression of BDNF and the concerted rescue of the neuropathological deficits in these animals. Collectively, these findings unravel a molecular link between CB1 receptor activation and BDNF expression, and support the relevance of the CB1/BDNF axis in promoting striatal neuron survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Blázquez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University, and the Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Madrid, Spain
| | - A Chiarlone
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University, and the Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Madrid, Spain
| | - L Bellocchio
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University, and the Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Madrid, Spain
| | - E Resel
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University, and the Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Madrid, Spain
| | - P Pruunsild
- Institute of Gene Technology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - D García-Rincón
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University, and the Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Madrid, Spain
| | - M Sendtner
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - T Timmusk
- Institute of Gene Technology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - B Lutz
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - I Galve-Roperh
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University, and the Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Madrid, Spain
| | - M Guzmán
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University, and the Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Madrid, Spain
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78
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Di Marzo V, Stella N, Zimmer A. Endocannabinoid signalling and the deteriorating brain. Nat Rev Neurosci 2015; 16:30-42. [PMID: 25524120 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 266] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Ageing is characterized by the progressive impairment of physiological functions and increased risk of developing debilitating disorders, including chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. These disorders have common molecular mechanisms that can be targeted therapeutically. In the wake of the approval of the first cannabinoid-based drug for the symptomatic treatment of multiple sclerosis, we examine how endocannabinoid (eCB) signalling controls--and is affected by--normal ageing and neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders. We propose a conceptual framework linking eCB signalling to the control of the cellular and molecular hallmarks of these processes, and categorize the key components of endocannabinoid signalling that may serve as targets for novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Di Marzo
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Nephi Stella
- 1] Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington. [2] Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, 1959 Pacific Avenue North, Seattle, Washington 98103, USA
| | - Andreas Zimmer
- Institute for Molecular Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Sigmund Freud Straße 25, Bonn 53127, Germany
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79
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Laprairie RB, Bagher AM, Precious SV, Denovan-Wright EM. Components of the endocannabinoid and dopamine systems are dysregulated in Huntington's disease: analysis of publicly available microarray datasets. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2015; 3:e00104. [PMID: 25692022 PMCID: PMC4317235 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2014] [Revised: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 09/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) and the dopaminergic system (DAS) are two major regulators of basal ganglia function. During Huntington's disease (HD) pathogenesis, the expression of genes in both the ECS and DAS is dysregulated. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes that were consistently observed in the ECS and DAS during HD progression in the central nervous system (CNS) and in the periphery in different models of HD and human HD tissue. To do this, we conducted a meta-analysis of differential gene expression in the ECS and DAS using publicly available microarray data. The consolidated data were summarized as observed changes in gene expression (OCGE) using a weighted sum for each gene. In addition, consolidated data were compared to previously published studies that were not available in the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. The resulting data confirm gene expression changes observed using different approaches and provide novel insights into the consistency between changes observed in human tissue and various models, as well as disease stage- and tissue-specific transcriptional dysregulation in HD. The major implication of the systems-wide data presented here is that therapeutic strategies targeting the ECS or DAS must consider the dynamic changes in gene expression over time and in different body areas, which occur during HD progression and the interconnectedness of the two systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert B Laprairie
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada, B3H 4R2
| | - Amina M Bagher
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada, B3H 4R2
| | - Sophie V Precious
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS, Canada, B3H 4R2
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80
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Pietropaolo S, Bellocchio L, Ruiz-Calvo A, Cabanas M, Du Z, Guzmán M, Garret M, Cho YH. Chronic cannabinoid receptor stimulation selectively prevents motor impairments in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neuropharmacology 2015; 89:368-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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81
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Chiurchiù V, Leuti A, Maccarrone M. Cannabinoid Signaling and Neuroinflammatory Diseases: A Melting pot for the Regulation of Brain Immune Responses. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2015; 10:268-80. [PMID: 25601726 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-015-9584-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The concept of the central nervous system (CNS) as an immune-privileged site, essentially due to the presence of the blood brain barrier, appears to be overly simplistic. Indeed, within healthy CNS immune activities are permitted and are required for neuronal function and host defense, not only due to the presence of the resident innate immune cells of the brain, but also by virtue of a complex cross-talk of the CNS with peripheral immune cells. Nonetheless, long-standing and persisting neuroinflammatory responses are most often detrimental and characterize several neuroinflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A growing body of evidence suggests that Cannabis sativa-derived phytocannabinoids, as well as synthetic cannabinoids, are endowed with significant immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, both in peripheral tissues and in the CNS, through the activation of cannabinoid receptors. In this review, the immunomodulatory effects of cannabinoid signaling on the most relevant brain immune cells will be discussed. In addition, the impact of cannabinoid regulation on the overall integration of the manifold brain immune responses will also be highlighted, along with the implication of these compounds as potential agents for the management of neuroinflammatory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Chiurchiù
- School of Medicine and Center of Integrated Research, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy
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82
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Valdeolivas S, Navarrete C, Cantarero I, Bellido ML, Muñoz E, Sagredo O. Neuroprotective properties of cannabigerol in Huntington's disease: studies in R6/2 mice and 3-nitropropionate-lesioned mice. Neurotherapeutics 2015; 12:185-99. [PMID: 25252936 PMCID: PMC4322067 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-014-0304-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Different plant-derived and synthetic cannabinoids have shown to be neuroprotective in experimental models of Huntington's disease (HD) through cannabinoid receptor-dependent and/or independent mechanisms. Herein, we studied the effects of cannabigerol (CBG), a nonpsychotropic phytocannabinoid, in 2 different in vivo models of HD. CBG was extremely active as neuroprotectant in mice intoxicated with 3-nitropropionate (3NP), improving motor deficits and preserving striatal neurons against 3NP toxicity. In addition, CBG attenuated the reactive microgliosis and the upregulation of proinflammatory markers induced by 3NP, and improved the levels of antioxidant defenses that were also significantly reduced by 3NP. We also investigated the neuroprotective properties of CBG in R6/2 mice. Treatment with this phytocannabinoid produced a much lower, but significant, recovery in the deteriorated rotarod performance typical of R6/2 mice. Using HD array analysis, we were able to identify a series of genes linked to this disease (e.g., symplekin, Sin3a, Rcor1, histone deacetylase 2, huntingtin-associated protein 1, δ subunit of the gamma-aminobutyric acid-A receptor (GABA-A), and hippocalcin), whose expression was altered in R6/2 mice but partially normalized by CBG treatment. We also observed a modest improvement in the gene expression for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), which is altered in these mice, as well as a small, but significant, reduction in the aggregation of mutant huntingtin in the striatal parenchyma in CBG-treated animals. In conclusion, our results open new research avenues for the use of CBG, alone or in combination with other phytocannabinoids or therapies, for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Valdeolivas
- />Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, 28040 Spain
- />Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- />Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Irene Cantarero
- />Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBC)/Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | | | - Eduardo Muñoz
- />Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBC)/Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Onintza Sagredo
- />Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, 28040 Spain
- />Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- />Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
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83
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Abstract
The physiological and pathophysiological functions of the endocannabinoid system have been studied extensively using transgenic and targeted knockout mouse models. The first gene deletions of the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor were described in the late 1990s, soon followed by CB(2) and FAAH mutations in early 2000. These mouse models helped to elucidate the fundamental role of endocannabinoids as retrograde transmitters in the CNS and in the discovery of many unexpected endocannabinoid functions, for example, in the skin, bone and liver. We now have knockout mouse models for almost every receptor and enzyme of the endocannabinoid system. Conditional mutant mice were mostly developed for the CB(1) receptor, which is widely expressed on many different neurons, astrocytes and microglia, as well as on many cells outside the CNS. These mouse strains include "floxed" CB(1) alleles and mice with a conditional re-expression of CB(1). The availability of these mice made it possible to decipher the function of CB(1) in specific neuronal circuits and cell populations or to discriminate between central and peripheral effects. Many of the genetic mouse models were also used in combination with viral expression systems. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing genetic models and to summarize some of the most important discoveries that were made with these animals.
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MESH Headings
- Amidohydrolases/genetics
- Amidohydrolases/metabolism
- Animals
- Endocannabinoids/genetics
- Endocannabinoids/metabolism
- Gene Deletion
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Genotype
- Humans
- Hydrolysis
- Mice, Knockout
- Mice, Mutant Strains
- Monoacylglycerol Lipases/genetics
- Monoacylglycerol Lipases/metabolism
- Mutation
- Phenotype
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Zimmer
- Institute of Molecular Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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84
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Francelle L, Galvan L, Brouillet E. Possible involvement of self-defense mechanisms in the preferential vulnerability of the striatum in Huntington's disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:295. [PMID: 25309327 PMCID: PMC4176035 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
HD is caused by a mutation in the huntingtin gene that consists in a CAG repeat expansion translated into an abnormal poly-glutamine (polyQ) tract in the huntingtin (Htt) protein. The most striking neuropathological finding in HD is the atrophy of the striatum. The regional expression of mutant Htt (mHtt) is ubiquitous in the brain and cannot explain by itself the preferential vulnerability of the striatum in HD. mHtt has been shown to produce an early defect in transcription, through direct alteration of the function of key regulators of transcription and in addition, more indirectly, as a result of compensatory responses to cellular stress. In this review, we focus on gene products that are preferentially expressed in the striatum and have down- or up-regulated expression in HD and, as such, may play a crucial role in the susceptibility of the striatum to mHtt. Many of these striatal gene products are for a vast majority down-regulated and more rarely increased in HD. Recent research shows that some of these striatal markers have a pro-survival/neuroprotective role in neurons (e.g., MSK1, A2A, and CB1 receptors) whereas others enhance the susceptibility of striatal neurons to mHtt (e.g., Rhes, RGS2, D2 receptors). The down-regulation of these latter proteins may be considered as a potential self-defense mechanism to slow degeneration. For a majority of the striatal gene products that have been identified so far, their function in the striatum is unknown and their modifying effects on mHtt toxicity remain to be experimentally addressed. Focusing on these striatal markers may contribute to a better understanding of HD pathogenesis, and possibly the identification of novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Francelle
- Neurodegenerative Disease Laboratory, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Direction des Sciences du Vivant, Institut d'Imagerie BioMédicale, Molecular Imaging Research Center Fontenay-aux-Roses, France ; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives Unité de Recherche Associée 2210 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Laurie Galvan
- Neurodegenerative Disease Laboratory, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Direction des Sciences du Vivant, Institut d'Imagerie BioMédicale, Molecular Imaging Research Center Fontenay-aux-Roses, France ; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives Unité de Recherche Associée 2210 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France ; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Neurodegenerative Disease Laboratory, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Direction des Sciences du Vivant, Institut d'Imagerie BioMédicale, Molecular Imaging Research Center Fontenay-aux-Roses, France ; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives Unité de Recherche Associée 2210 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
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85
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Naydenov AV, Sepers MD, Swinney K, Raymond LA, Palmiter RD, Stella N. Genetic rescue of CB1 receptors on medium spiny neurons prevents loss of excitatory striatal synapses but not motor impairment in HD mice. Neurobiol Dis 2014; 71:140-50. [PMID: 25134728 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2014] [Revised: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expanded polyglutamine repeat in huntingtin protein that disrupts synaptic function in specific neuronal populations and results in characteristic motor, cognitive and affective deficits. Histopathological hallmarks observed in both HD patients and genetic mouse models include the reduced expression of synaptic proteins, reduced medium spiny neuron (MSN) dendritic spine density and decreased frequency of spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic currents (sEPSCs). Early down-regulation of cannabinoid CB1 receptor expression on MSN (CB1(MSN)) is thought to participate in HD pathogenesis. Here we present a cell-specific genetic rescue of CB1(MSN) in R6/2 mice and report that treatment prevents the reduction of excitatory synaptic markers in the striatum (synaptophysin, vGLUT1 and vGLUT2), of dendritic spine density on MSNs and of MSN sEPSCs, but does not prevent motor impairment. We conclude that loss of excitatory striatal synapses in HD mice is controlled by CB1(MSN) and can be uncoupled from the motor phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alipi V Naydenov
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA; Graduate Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Marja D Sepers
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Katie Swinney
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Richard D Palmiter
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Nephi Stella
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA.
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86
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Laprairie RB, Bagher AM, Kelly MEM, Dupré DJ, Denovan-Wright EM. Type 1 cannabinoid receptor ligands display functional selectivity in a cell culture model of striatal medium spiny projection neurons. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:24845-62. [PMID: 25037227 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.557025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Modulation of type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1) activity has been touted as a potential means of treating addiction, anxiety, depression, and neurodegeneration. Different agonists of CB1 are known to evoke varied responses in vivo. Functional selectivity is the ligand-specific activation of certain signal transduction pathways at a receptor that can signal through multiple pathways. To understand cannabinoid-specific functional selectivity, different groups have examined the effect of individual cannabinoids on various signaling pathways in heterologous expression systems. In the current study, we compared the functional selectivity of six cannabinoids, including two endocannabinoids (2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA)), two synthetic cannabinoids (WIN55,212-2 and CP55,940), and two phytocannabinoids (cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)) on arrestin2-, Gα(i/o)-, Gβγ-, Gα(s)-, and Gα(q)-mediated intracellular signaling in the mouse STHdh(Q7/Q7) cell culture model of striatal medium spiny projection neurons that endogenously express CB1. In this system, 2-AG, THC, and CP55,940 were more potent mediators of arrestin2 recruitment than other cannabinoids tested. 2-AG, AEA, and WIN55,212-2, enhanced Gα(i/o) and Gβγ signaling, with 2-AG and AEA treatment leading to increased total CB1 levels. 2-AG, AEA, THC, and WIN55,212-2 also activated Gα(q)-dependent pathways. CP55,940 and CBD both signaled through Gα(s). CP55,940, but not CBD, activated downstream Gα(s) pathways via CB1 targets. THC and CP55,940 promoted CB1 internalization and decreased CB1 protein levels over an 18-h period. These data demonstrate that individual cannabinoids display functional selectivity at CB1 leading to activation of distinct signaling pathways. To effectively match cannabinoids with therapeutic goals, these compounds must be screened for their signaling bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert B Laprairie
- From the Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Amina M Bagher
- From the Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Melanie E M Kelly
- From the Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Denis J Dupré
- From the Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Eileen M Denovan-Wright
- From the Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
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87
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88
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Sepers MD, Raymond LA. Mechanisms of synaptic dysfunction and excitotoxicity in Huntington's disease. Drug Discov Today 2014; 19:990-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2014.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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89
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Ooms M, Rietjens R, Rangarajan JR, Vunckx K, Valdeolivas S, Maes F, Himmelreich U, Fernandez-Ruiz J, Bormans G, Van Laere K, Casteels C. Early decrease of type 1 cannabinoid receptor binding and phosphodiesterase 10A activity in vivo in R6/2 Huntington mice. Neurobiol Aging 2014; 35:2858-2869. [PMID: 25018107 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Revised: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Several lines of evidence imply early alterations in endocannabinoid and phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) signaling in Huntington disease (HD). Using [(18)F]MK-9470 and [(18)F]JNJ42259152 small-animal positron emission tomography (PET), we investigated for the first time cerebral changes in type 1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptor binding and PDE10A levels in vivo in presymptomatic, early symptomatic, and late symptomatic HD (R6/2) mice, in relation to glucose metabolism ([(18)F]FDG PET), brain morphology (magnetic resonance imaging) and motor function. Ten R6/2 and 16 wild-type (WT) mice were investigated at 3 different time points between the age of 4 and 13 weeks. Parametric CB1 receptor and PDE10A images were anatomically standardized to Paxinos space and analyzed voxelwise. Volumetric microMRI imaging was performed to assess HD pathology. In R6/2 mice, CB1 receptor binding was decreased in comparison with WT in a cluster comprising the bilateral caudate-putamen, globus pallidus, and thalamic nucleus at week 5 (-8.1% ± 2.6%, p = 1.7 × 10(-5)). Longitudinal follow-up showed further progressive decline compared with controls in a cluster comprising the bilateral hippocampus, caudate-putamen, globus pallidus, superior colliculus, thalamic nucleus, and cerebellum (late vs. presymptomatic age: -13.7% ± 3.1% for R6/2 and +1.5% ± 4.0% for WT, p = 1.9 × 10(-5)). In R6/2 mice, PDE10A binding potential also decreased over time to reach significance at early and late symptomatic HD (late vs. presymptomatic age: -79.1% ± 1.9% for R6/2 and +2.1% ± 2.7% for WT, p = 1.5 × 10(-4)). The observed changes in CB1 receptor and PDE10A binding were correlated to anomalies exhibited by R6/2 animals in motor function, whereas no correlation was found with magnetic resonance imaging-based striatal volume. Our findings point to early regional dysfunctions in endocannabinoid and PDE10A signaling, involving the caudate-putamen and lateral globus pallidus, which may play a role in the progression of the disease in R6/2 animals. PET quantification of in vivo CB1 and/or PDE10A binding may thus be useful early biomarkers for HD. Our results also provide evidence of subtle motor deficits at earlier stages than previously described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Ooms
- Laboratory for Radiopharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; MoSAIC-Molecular Small Animal Imaging Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Roma Rietjens
- MoSAIC-Molecular Small Animal Imaging Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Janaki Raman Rangarajan
- KU Leuven Medical Image Computing (ESAT/PSI), Department of Electrical Engineering & Medical Imaging Research Center, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kathleen Vunckx
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sara Valdeolivas
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Frederik Maes
- KU Leuven Medical Image Computing (ESAT/PSI), Department of Electrical Engineering & Medical Imaging Research Center, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Uwe Himmelreich
- Biomedical NMR Unit, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Javier Fernandez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Guy Bormans
- Laboratory for Radiopharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; MoSAIC-Molecular Small Animal Imaging Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koen Van Laere
- MoSAIC-Molecular Small Animal Imaging Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cindy Casteels
- MoSAIC-Molecular Small Animal Imaging Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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90
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A restricted population of CB1 cannabinoid receptors with neuroprotective activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:8257-62. [PMID: 24843137 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1400988111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The CB1 cannabinoid receptor, the main molecular target of endocannabinoids and cannabis active components, is the most abundant G protein-coupled receptor in the mammalian brain. Of note, CB1 receptors are expressed at the synapses of two opposing (i.e., GABAergic/inhibitory and glutamatergic/excitatory) neuronal populations, so the activation of one and/or another receptor population may conceivably evoke different effects. Despite the widely reported neuroprotective activity of the CB1 receptor in animal models, the precise pathophysiological relevance of those two CB1 receptor pools in neurodegenerative processes is unknown. Here, we first induced excitotoxic damage in the mouse brain by (i) administering quinolinic acid to conditional mutant animals lacking CB1 receptors selectively in GABAergic or glutamatergic neurons, and (ii) manipulating corticostriatal glutamatergic projections remotely with a designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drug pharmacogenetic approach. We next examined the alterations that occur in the R6/2 mouse, a well-established model of Huntington disease, upon (i) fully knocking out CB1 receptors, and (ii) deleting CB1 receptors selectively in corticostriatal glutamatergic or striatal GABAergic neurons. The data unequivocally identify the restricted population of CB1 receptors located on glutamatergic terminals as an indispensable player in the neuroprotective activity of (endo)cannabinoids, therefore suggesting that this precise receptor pool constitutes a promising target for neuroprotective therapeutic strategies.
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91
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Alhouayek M, Muccioli GG. COX-2-derived endocannabinoid metabolites as novel inflammatory mediators. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2014; 35:284-92. [PMID: 24684963 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2014.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Revised: 02/27/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an enzyme that plays a key role in inflammatory processes. Classically, this enzyme is upregulated in inflammatory situations and is responsible for the generation of prostaglandins (PGs) from arachidonic acid (AA). One lesser-known property of COX-2 is its ability to metabolize the endocannabinoids, N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Endocannabinoid metabolism by COX-2 is not merely a means to terminate their actions. On the contrary, it generates PG analogs, namely PG-glycerol esters (PG-G) for 2-AG and PG-ethanolamides (PG-EA or prostamides) for AEA. Although the formation of these COX-2-derived metabolites of the endocannabinoids has been known for a while, their biological effects remain to be fully elucidated. Recently, several studies have focused on the role of these PG-G or PG-EA in vivo. In this review we take a closer look at the literature concerning these novel bioactive lipids and their role in inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille Alhouayek
- Bioanalysis and Pharmacology of Bioactive Lipids Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Emmanuel Mounier 72 (B1.72.01), 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Giulio G Muccioli
- Bioanalysis and Pharmacology of Bioactive Lipids Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Emmanuel Mounier 72 (B1.72.01), 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium.
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92
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Fagan SG, Campbell VA. The influence of cannabinoids on generic traits of neurodegeneration. Br J Pharmacol 2014; 171:1347-60. [PMID: 24172185 PMCID: PMC3954477 DOI: 10.1111/bph.12492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 09/14/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED In an increasingly ageing population, the incidence of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease are rising. While the aetiologies of these disorders are different, a number of common mechanisms that underlie their neurodegenerative components have been elucidated; namely neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced trophic support. Current therapies focus on treatment of the symptoms and attempt to delay the progression of these diseases but there is currently no cure. Modulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system is emerging as a potentially viable option in the treatment of neurodegeneration. Endocannabinoid signalling has been found to be altered in many neurodegenerative disorders. To this end, pharmacological manipulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system, as well as application of phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids have been investigated. Signalling from the CB1 and CB2 receptors are known to be involved in the regulation of Ca(2+) homeostasis, mitochondrial function, trophic support and inflammatory status, respectively, while other receptors gated by cannabinoids such as PPARγ, are gaining interest in their anti-inflammatory properties. Through multiple lines of evidence, this evolutionarily conserved neurosignalling system has shown neuroprotective capabilities and is therefore a potential target for neurodegenerative disorders. This review details the mechanisms of neurodegeneration and highlights the beneficial effects of cannabinoid treatment. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Cannabinoids 2013. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- S G Fagan
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Dublin, Trinity CollegeDublin 2, Ireland
| | - V A Campbell
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Dublin, Trinity CollegeDublin 2, Ireland
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93
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The cytokine and endocannabinoid systems are co-regulated by NF-κB p65/RelA in cell culture and transgenic mouse models of Huntington's disease and in striatal tissue from Huntington's disease patients. J Neuroimmunol 2013; 267:61-72. [PMID: 24360910 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2013.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Revised: 11/02/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional dysregulation is a major pathological feature of Huntington's disease (HD). The goal of this study was to understand how p65/RelA co-regulated genes, specifically those of the cytokine and endocannabinoid systems, were affected in HD. p65/RelA levels were lower in human HD tissue and R6/2 HD mice, as were the levels of the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1), IL-1β, IL-8, CCL5, GM-CSF, MIP-1β, and TNFα, all of which may be regulated by p65/RelA. Activation of p65/RelA restored CB1 and CCL5 expression in STHdh cell models of HD. Therefore, p65/RelA activation may normalize the expression of some genes in HD.
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94
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Heng BC, Aubel D, Fussenegger M. An overview of the diverse roles of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the pathophysiology of various human diseases. Biotechnol Adv 2013; 31:1676-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2013.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Revised: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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95
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Fogaça MV, Galve-Roperh I, Guimarães FS, Campos AC. Cannabinoids, Neurogenesis and Antidepressant Drugs: Is there a Link? Curr Neuropharmacol 2013; 11:263-75. [PMID: 24179463 PMCID: PMC3648779 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x11311030003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Revised: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to clinically used antidepressants, cannabinoids can also regulate anxiety and depressive symptoms. Although the mechanisms of these effects are not completely understood, recent evidence suggests that changes in endocannabinoid system could be involved in some actions of antidepressants. Chronic antidepressant treatment modifies the expression of CB1 receptors and endocannabinoid (EC) content in brain regions related to mood and anxiety control. Moreover, both antidepressant and cannabinoids activate mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3-K)/Akt or PKB signaling, intracellular pathways that regulate cell proliferation and neural cell survival. Facilitation of hippocampal neurogenesis is proposed as a common effect of chronic antidepressant treatment. Genetic or pharmacological manipulations of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) or enzymes responsible for endocannabinoid-metabolism have also been shown to control proliferation and neurogenesis in the hippocampus. In the present paper we reviewed the studies that have investigated the potential contribution of cannabinoids and neurogenesisto antidepressant effects. Considering the widespread brain distribution of the EC system, a better understanding of this possible interaction could contribute to the development of therapeutic alternatives to mood and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoela Viar Fogaça
- Department of Pharmacology; School of Medicine of RibeirãoPreto- University of São Paulo, Brazil ; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), University of São Paulo, Brazil
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96
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Valdeolivas S, Pazos MR, Bisogno T, Piscitelli F, Iannotti FA, Allarà M, Sagredo O, Di Marzo V, Fernández-Ruiz J. The inhibition of 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol (2-AG) biosynthesis, rather than enhancing striatal damage, protects striatal neurons from malonate-induced death: a potential role of cyclooxygenase-2-dependent metabolism of 2-AG. Cell Death Dis 2013; 4:e862. [PMID: 24136226 PMCID: PMC3920947 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2013.387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The cannabinoid CB2 receptor, which is activated by the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol (2-AG), protects striatal neurons from apoptotic death caused by the local administration of malonate, a rat model of Huntington's disease (HD). In the present study, we investigated whether endocannabinoids provide tonic neuroprotection in this HD model, by examining the effect of O-3841, an inhibitor of diacylglycerol lipases, the enzymes that catalyse 2-AG biosynthesis, and JZL184 or OMDM169, two inhibitors of 2-AG inactivation by monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL). The inhibitors were injected in rats with the striatum lesioned with malonate, and several biochemical and morphological parameters were measured in this brain area. Similar experiments were also conducted in vitro in cultured M-213 cells, which have the phenotypic characteristics of striatal neurons. O-3841 produced a significant reduction in the striatal levels of 2-AG in animals lesioned with malonate. However, surprisingly, the inhibitor attenuated malonate-induced GABA and BDNF deficiencies and the reduction in Nissl staining, as well as the increase in GFAP immunostaining. In contrast, JZL184 exacerbated malonate-induced striatal damage. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was induced in the striatum 24 h after the lesion simultaneously with other pro-inflammatory responses. The COX-2-derived 2-AG metabolite, prostaglandin E2 glyceryl ester (PGE2-G), exacerbated neurotoxicity, and this effect was antagonized by the blockade of PGE2-G action with AGN220675. In M-213 cells exposed to malonate, in which COX-2 was also upregulated, JZL184 worsened neurotoxicity, and this effect was attenuated by the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib or AGN220675. OMDM169 also worsened neurotoxicity and produced measurable levels of PGE2-G. In conclusion, the inhibition of 2-AG biosynthesis is neuroprotective in rats lesioned with malonate, possibly through the counteraction of the formation of pro-neuroinflammatory PGE2-G, formed from COX-2-mediated oxygenation of 2-AG. Accordingly, MAGL inhibition or the administration of PGE2-G aggravates the malonate toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Valdeolivas
- 1] Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain [2] Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain [3] Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
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97
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Galve-Roperh I, Chiurchiù V, Díaz-Alonso J, Bari M, Guzmán M, Maccarrone M. Cannabinoid receptor signaling in progenitor/stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Prog Lipid Res 2013; 52:633-50. [PMID: 24076098 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2013.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2013] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cannabinoids, the active components of cannabis (Cannabis sativa) extracts, have attracted the attention of human civilizations for centuries, much earlier than the discovery and characterization of their substrate of action, the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The latter is an ensemble of endogenous lipids, their receptors [in particular type-1 (CB1) and type-2 (CB2) cannabinoid receptors] and metabolic enzymes. Cannabinoid signaling regulates cell proliferation, differentiation and survival, with different outcomes depending on the molecular targets and cellular context involved. Cannabinoid receptors are expressed and functional from the very early developmental stages, when they regulate embryonic and trophoblast stem cell survival and differentiation, and thus may affect the formation of manifold adult specialized tissues derived from the three different germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm). In the ectoderm-derived nervous system, both CB1 and CB2 receptors are present in neural progenitor/stem cells and control their self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation. CB1 and CB2 show opposite patterns of expression, the former increasing and the latter decreasing along neuronal differentiation. Recently, endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling has also been shown to regulate proliferation and differentiation of mesoderm-derived hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells, with a key role in determining the formation of several cell types in peripheral tissues, including blood cells, adipocytes, osteoblasts/osteoclasts and epithelial cells. Here, we will review these new findings, which unveil the involvement of eCB signaling in the regulation of progenitor/stem cell fate in the nervous system and in the periphery. The developmental regulation of cannabinoid receptor expression and cellular/subcellular localization, together with their role in progenitor/stem cell biology, may have important implications in human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Galve-Roperh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University, IUIN, CIBERNED and IRYCIS, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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98
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Kloster E, Saft C, Epplen JT, Arning L. CNR1 variation is associated with the age at onset in Huntington disease. Eur J Med Genet 2013; 56:416-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2013.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Fernández-Ruiz J, Sagredo O, Pazos MR, García C, Pertwee R, Mechoulam R, Martínez-Orgado J. Cannabidiol for neurodegenerative disorders: important new clinical applications for this phytocannabinoid? Br J Clin Pharmacol 2013; 75:323-33. [PMID: 22625422 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04341.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid with therapeutic properties for numerous disorders exerted through molecular mechanisms that are yet to be completely identified. CBD acts in some experimental models as an anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, anti-oxidant, anti-emetic, anxiolytic and antipsychotic agent, and is therefore a potential medicine for the treatment of neuroinflammation, epilepsy, oxidative injury, vomiting and nausea, anxiety and schizophrenia, respectively. The neuroprotective potential of CBD, based on the combination of its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, is of particular interest and is presently under intense preclinical research in numerous neurodegenerative disorders. In fact, CBD combined with Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol is already under clinical evaluation in patients with Huntington's disease to determine its potential as a disease-modifying therapy. The neuroprotective properties of CBD do not appear to be exerted by the activation of key targets within the endocannabinoid system for plant-derived cannabinoids like Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, i.e. CB(1) and CB(2) receptors, as CBD has negligible activity at these cannabinoid receptors, although certain activity at the CB(2) receptor has been documented in specific pathological conditions (i.e. damage of immature brain). Within the endocannabinoid system, CBD has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on the inactivation of endocannabinoids (i.e. inhibition of FAAH enzyme), thereby enhancing the action of these endogenous molecules on cannabinoid receptors, which is also noted in certain pathological conditions. CBD acts not only through the endocannabinoid system, but also causes direct or indirect activation of metabotropic receptors for serotonin or adenosine, and can target nuclear receptors of the PPAR family and also ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Fernández-Ruiz
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular III, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, 28040-Madrid, Spain.
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100
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Kreiner G, Bierhoff H, Armentano M, Rodriguez-Parkitna J, Sowodniok K, Naranjo JR, Bonfanti L, Liss B, Schütz G, Grummt I, Parlato R. A neuroprotective phase precedes striatal degeneration upon nucleolar stress. Cell Death Differ 2013; 20:1455-64. [PMID: 23764776 PMCID: PMC3792439 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2013.66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2012] [Revised: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 05/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleolus is implicated in sensing and responding to cellular stress by stabilizing p53. The pro-apoptotic effect of p53 is associated with several neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD), which is characterized by the progressive loss of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum. Here we show that disruption of nucleolar integrity and function causes nucleolar stress and is an early event in MSNs of R6/2 mice, a transgenic model of HD. Targeted perturbation of nucleolar function in MSNs by conditional knockout of the RNA polymerase I-specific transcription initiation factor IA (TIF-IA) leads to late progressive striatal degeneration, HD-like motor abnormalities and molecular signatures. Significantly, p53 prolongs neuronal survival in TIF-IA-deficient MSNs by transient upregulation of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), a tumor suppressor that inhibits mammalian target of rapamycin signaling and induces autophagy. The results emphasize the initial role of nucleolar stress in neurodegeneration and uncover a p53/PTEN-dependent neuroprotective response.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Kreiner
- 1] Department of Molecular Biology of the Cell I, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany [2] Department of Brain Biochemistry, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
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