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Kouchaeknejad A, Van Der Walt G, De Donato MH, Puighermanal E. Imaging and Genetic Tools for the Investigation of the Endocannabinoid System in the CNS. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15829. [PMID: 37958825 PMCID: PMC10648052 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
As central nervous system (CNS)-related disorders present an increasing cause of global morbidity, mortality, and high pressure on our healthcare system, there is an urgent need for new insights and treatment options. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a critical network of endogenous compounds, receptors, and enzymes that contribute to CNS development and regulation. Given its multifaceted involvement in neurobiology and its significance in various CNS disorders, the ECS as a whole is considered a promising therapeutic target. Despite significant advances in our understanding of the ECS's role in the CNS, its complex architecture and extensive crosstalk with other biological systems present challenges for research and clinical advancements. To bridge these knowledge gaps and unlock the full therapeutic potential of ECS interventions in CNS-related disorders, a plethora of molecular-genetic tools have been developed in recent years. Here, we review some of the most impactful tools for investigating the neurological aspects of the ECS. We first provide a brief introduction to the ECS components, including cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids, and metabolic enzymes, emphasizing their complexity. This is followed by an exploration of cutting-edge imaging tools and genetic models aimed at elucidating the roles of these principal ECS components. Special emphasis is placed on their relevance in the context of CNS and its associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Emma Puighermanal
- Neuroscience Institute, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (A.K.); (G.V.D.W.); (M.H.D.D.)
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Lathrop JR, Rosen SN, Heitkemper MM, Buchanan DT. Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome and Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome: The State of the Science. Gastroenterol Nurs 2023; 46:208-224. [PMID: 37074964 DOI: 10.1097/sga.0000000000000730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
This article provides a narrative review of the state of the science for both cyclic vomiting syndrome and cannabis hyperemesis syndrome along with a discussion of the relationship between these 2 conditions. The scope of this review includes the historical context of these conditions as well as the prevalence, diagnostic criteria, pathogenesis, and treatment strategies for both conditions. A synopsis of the endocannabinoid system provides a basis for the hypothesis that a lack of cannabidiol in modern high-potency Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol cannabis may be contributory to cannabis hyperemesis syndrome and possibly other cannabis use disorders. In concluding assessment, though the publications addressing both adult cyclic vomiting syndrome and cannabis hyperemesis syndrome are steadily increasing overall, the state of the science supporting the treatments, prognosis, etiology, and confounding factors (including cannabis use) is of moderate quality. Much of the literature portrays these conditions separately and as such sometimes fails to account for the confounding of adult cyclic vomiting syndrome with cannabis hyperemesis syndrome. The diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are, at present, based generally on case series publications and expert opinion, with a very limited number of randomized controlled trials and a complete absence of Level 1 evidence within the cyclic vomiting literature overall as well as for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome specifically.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Lathrop
- James R. Lathrop, DNP, FNP, ARNP, is a PhD student under the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
- Sheldon N. Rosen, MD, is Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Margaret M. Heitkemper, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Professor and Elizabeth Sterling Soule Endowed Chair in Nursing, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
- Diana Taibi Buchanan, PhD, RN, is Associate Professor and Mary S. Tschudin Endowed Professor of Nursing Education, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Sheldon N Rosen
- James R. Lathrop, DNP, FNP, ARNP, is a PhD student under the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
- Sheldon N. Rosen, MD, is Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Margaret M. Heitkemper, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Professor and Elizabeth Sterling Soule Endowed Chair in Nursing, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
- Diana Taibi Buchanan, PhD, RN, is Associate Professor and Mary S. Tschudin Endowed Professor of Nursing Education, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Margaret M Heitkemper
- James R. Lathrop, DNP, FNP, ARNP, is a PhD student under the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
- Sheldon N. Rosen, MD, is Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Margaret M. Heitkemper, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Professor and Elizabeth Sterling Soule Endowed Chair in Nursing, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
- Diana Taibi Buchanan, PhD, RN, is Associate Professor and Mary S. Tschudin Endowed Professor of Nursing Education, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Diana Taibi Buchanan
- James R. Lathrop, DNP, FNP, ARNP, is a PhD student under the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
- Sheldon N. Rosen, MD, is Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Margaret M. Heitkemper, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Professor and Elizabeth Sterling Soule Endowed Chair in Nursing, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
- Diana Taibi Buchanan, PhD, RN, is Associate Professor and Mary S. Tschudin Endowed Professor of Nursing Education, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
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3
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Iman IN, Ahmad NAZ, Mohd Yusof NA, Talib UN, Norazit A, Kumar J, Mehat MZ, Hassan Z, Müller CP, Muzaimi M. Mitragynine (Kratom)-Induced Cognitive Impairments in Mice Resemble Δ9-THC and Morphine Effects: Reversal by Cannabinoid CB 1 Receptor Antagonism. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:708055. [PMID: 34603022 PMCID: PMC8481666 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.708055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Kratom is a widely abused plant-based drug preparation with a global interest in recent years, well beyond its native grounds in Southeast Asia. Mitragynine, its major psychoactive constituent is known to exhibit opioid-like behavioral effects with resultant neuroplasticity in the brain reward system. Its chronic administration is associated with cognitive impairments in animal studies. However, the underlying molecular mechanism for such a deficit remains elusive. In this study, the involvement of cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptors in cognitive deficits after chronic mitragynine exposures was investigated for 28 days (with incremental dose sensitization from 1 to 25 mg/kg) in adult male Swiss albino mice using the IntelliCage® system. Chronic high-dose mitragynine exposure (5–25 mg/kg, intraperitoneal [i.p.]), but not low-dose exposure (1–4 mg/kg, i.p.), induced hyperlocomotion, potentiated the preference for sucrose reward, increased resistance to punishment, and impaired place learning and its reversal. Comparable deficits were also observed after chronic treatments with Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, 2 mg/kg, i.p.) or morphine (5 mg/kg, subcutaneous). Mitragynine-, morphine-, and THC-induced learning and memory deficits were reversed by co-treatment with the CB1 receptor antagonist, NIDA-41020 (10 mg/kg, i.p.). A significant upregulation of CB1 receptor expression was found in the hippocampal CA1 region and ventral tegmental area after chronic high-dose mitragynine and morphine, whereas a downregulation was observed after chronic THC. In conclusion, the present study suggests a plausible role of the CB1 receptor in mediating the dose-dependent cognitive deficits after chronic high-dose mitragynine exposure. This also highlights the potential of CB1 receptor antagonism in ameliorating the cognitive deficits associated with long-term kratom/mitragynine consumption in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismail Nurul Iman
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kota Bharu, Malaysia
| | - Nur Aimi Zawami Ahmad
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kota Bharu, Malaysia
| | - Nurul Aiman Mohd Yusof
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kota Bharu, Malaysia
| | - Ummi Nasrah Talib
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kota Bharu, Malaysia
| | - Anwar Norazit
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Jaya Kumar
- Department of Physiology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Zulfadli Mehat
- Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Zurina Hassan
- Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Malaysia
| | - Christian P Müller
- Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Malaysia.,Section of Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Mustapha Muzaimi
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kota Bharu, Malaysia
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Lowin T, Schneider M, Pongratz G. Joints for joints: cannabinoids in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2020; 31:271-278. [PMID: 30920973 DOI: 10.1097/bor.0000000000000590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW An increasing number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are using cannabis to treat their symptoms, although systematic studies regarding efficacy in RA are lacking. Within this review we will give an overview on the overall effects of cannabinoids in inflammation and why they might be useful in the treatment of RA. RECENT FINDINGS Peripherally, cannabinoids show anti-inflammatory effects by activating cannabinoid type 2 receptors (CB2) which decrease cytokine production and immune cell mobilization. In contrast, cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1) activation on immune cells is proinflammatory while CB1 antagonism provides anti-inflammatory effects by increasing β2-adrenergic signaling in the joint and secondary lymphoid organs. In addition, the nonpsychotropic cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD) demonstrated antiarthritic effects independent of cannabinoid receptors. In addition to controlling inflammation, cannabinoids reduce pain by activating central and peripheral CB1, peripheral CB2 receptors and CBD-sensitive noncannabinoid receptor targets. SUMMARY Cannabinoids might be a suitable treatment for RA, but it is important to target the right receptors in the right place. For clinical studies, we propose a combination of a CB2 agonist to decrease cytokine production, a peripheral CB1 antagonist to prevent detrimental CB1 signaling and to support anti-inflammatory effects of CB2 via activation of β2-adrenergic receptors and CBD to induce cannabinoid-receptor-independent anti-inflammatory effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Lowin
- Poliklinik, Funktionsbereich & Hiller Forschungszentrum für Rheumatologie, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
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CB 1 Activity Drives the Selection of Navigational Strategies: A Behavioral and c-Fos Immunoreactivity Study. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21031072. [PMID: 32041135 PMCID: PMC7036945 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21031072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
To promote efficient explorative behaviors, subjects adaptively select spatial navigational strategies based on landmarks or a cognitive map. The hippocampus works alone or in conjunction with the dorsal striatum, both representing the neuronal underpinnings of the navigational strategies organized on the basis of different systems of spatial coordinate integration. The high expression of cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors in structures related to spatial learning—such as the hippocampus, dorsal striatum and amygdala—renders the endocannabinoid system a critical target to study the balance between landmark- and cognitive map-based navigational strategies. In the present study, mice treated with the CB1-inverse agonist/antagonist AM251 or vehicle were trained on a Circular Hole Board, a task that could be solved through either navigational strategy. At the end of the behavioral testing, c-Fos immunoreactivity was evaluated in specific nuclei of the hippocampus, dorsal striatum and amygdala. AM251 treatment impaired spatial learning and modified the pattern of the performed navigational strategies as well as the c-Fos immunoreactivity in the hippocampus, dorsal striatum and amygdala. The present findings shed light on the involvement of CB1 receptors as part of the selection system of the navigational strategies implemented to efficiently solve the spatial problem.
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Locci A, Pinna G. Stimulation of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-α by N-Palmitoylethanolamine Engages Allopregnanolone Biosynthesis to Modulate Emotional Behavior. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:1036-1045. [PMID: 30955840 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The endocannabinoid and neurosteroid systems regulate emotions and stress responses. Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α by the endocannabinoid congener N-palmitoylethanolamine (PEA) regulates pathophysiological systems (e.g., inflammation, oxidative stress) and induces peripheral biosynthesis of allopregnanolone, a gamma-aminobutyric acidergic neurosteroid implicated in mood disorders. However, effects of PPAR-α on emotional behavior are poorly understood. METHODS We studied the impact of PPAR-α activation on emotional behavior in a mouse model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Neurosteroid levels before and after PEA treatment were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in relevant brain regions of socially isolated versus group-housed mice exposed to the contextual fear conditioning test, elevated plus maze test, forced swim test, and tail suspension test. Neurosteroidogenic enzyme levels were quantified in hippocampus by Western blot. RESULTS PEA administered in a model of conditioned contextual fear reconsolidation blockade facilitated fear extinction and fear extinction retention and induced marked antidepressive- and anxiolytic-like effects in socially isolated mice with reduced brain allopregnanolone levels. These effects were mimicked by the PPAR-α synthetic agonists, fenofibrate and GW7647, and were prevented by PPAR-α deletion, PPAR-α antagonists, and neurosteroid-enzyme inhibitors. Behavioral improvements correlated with PEA-induced upregulation of PPAR-α, neurosteroidogenic enzyme expression, and normalization of corticolimbic allopregnanolone levels. CONCLUSIONS This evidence supports a previously unknown role for PPAR-α in behavior regulation and suggests new strategies for the treatment of neuropsychopathologies characterized by deficient neurosteroidogenesis, including posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Locci
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Graziano Pinna
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
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Locci A, Pinna G. Social isolation as a promising animal model of PTSD comorbid suicide: neurosteroids and cannabinoids as possible treatment options. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 92:243-259. [PMID: 30586627 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by drastic alterations in mood, emotions, social abilities and cognition. Notably, one aspect of PTSD, particularly in veterans, is its comorbidity with suicide. Elevated aggressiveness predicts high-risk to suicide in humans and despite the difficulty in reproducing a complex human suicidal behavior in rodents, aggressive behavior is a well reproducible behavioral trait of suicide. PTSD animal models are based on a peculiar phenotype, including exaggerated fear memory and impaired fear extinction associated with neurochemical dysregulations in the brain circuitry regulating emotion. The endocannabinoid and the neurosteroid systems regulate emotions and stress responses, and recent evidence shows these two systems are interrelated and critically compromised in neuropsychiatric disorders. For instance, levels of the neurosteroid, allopregnanolone, as well as those of the endocannabinoids, anandamide and its congener, palmitoylethanolamide are decreased in PTSD. Similarly, the endocannabinoid system and neurosteroid biosynthesis are altered in suicidal individuals. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the only FDA-approved treatments for PTSD, fail to help half of the treatment-seeking patients. This highlights the need for developing biomarker-based efficient therapies. One promising alternative to SSRIs points to stimulation of allopregnanolone biosynthesis as a treatment and a valid end-point to predict treatment response in PTSD patients. This review highlights running findings on the role of the endocannabinoid and neurosteroid systems in PTSD and suicidal behavior both in a preclinical and clinical perspective. A specific focus is given to predictive PTSD/suicide animal models. Ultimately, we discuss the idea that disruption of neurosteroid and endocannabinoid biosynthesis may offer a novel promising biomarker axis to develop new treatments for PTSD and, perhaps, suicidal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Locci
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Graziano Pinna
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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Fletcher-Jones A, Hildick KL, Evans AJ, Nakamura Y, Wilkinson KA, Henley JM. The C-terminal helix 9 motif in rat cannabinoid receptor type 1 regulates axonal trafficking and surface expression. eLife 2019; 8:44252. [PMID: 31036155 PMCID: PMC6491034 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid type one receptor (CB1R) is only stably surface expressed in axons, where it downregulates neurotransmitter release. How this tightly regulated axonal surface polarity is established and maintained is unclear. To address this question, we used time-resolved imaging to determine the trafficking of CB1R from biosynthesis to mature polarised localisation in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. We show that the secretory pathway delivery of CB1R is axonally biased and that surface expressed CB1R is more stable in axons than in dendrites. This dual mechanism is mediated by the CB1R C-terminus and involves the Helix 9 (H9) domain. Removal of the H9 domain increases secretory pathway delivery to dendrites and decreases surface stability. Furthermore, CB1RΔH9 is more sensitive to agonist-induced internalisation and less efficient at downstream signalling than CB1RWT. Together, these results shed new light on how polarity of CB1R is mediated and indicate that the C-terminal H9 domain plays key roles in this process. The brain contains around 100 billion neurons that are in constant communication with one another. Each consists of a cell body, plus two components specialized for exchanging information. These are the axon, which delivers information, and the dendrites, which receive it. This exchange takes place at contact points between neurons called synapses. To send a message, a neuron releases chemicals called neurotransmitters from its axon terminals into the synapse. The neurotransmitters cross the synapse and bind to receptor proteins on the dendrites of another neuron. In doing so, they pass on the message. Cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1Rs) help control the flow of information at synapses. They do this by binding neurotransmitters called endocannabinoids, which are unusual among neurotransmitters. Rather than sending messages from axons to dendrites, endocannabinoids send them in the opposite direction. Thus, it is dendrites that release endocannabinoids, which then bind to CB1Rs in axon terminals. This backwards, or 'retrograde', signalling dampens the release of other neurotransmitters. This slows down brain activity, and gives rise to the 'mellow' sensation that recreational cannabis users often describe. Like most other proteins, CB1Rs are built inside the cell body. So, how do these receptors end up in the axon terminals where they are needed? Are they initially sent to both axons and dendrites, with the CB1Rs that travel to dendrites being rerouted back to axons? Or do the receptors travel directly to the axon itself? Fletcher-Jones et al. tracked newly made CB1Rs in rat neurons growing in a dish. The results revealed that the receptors go directly to the axon, before moving on to the axon terminals. A specific region of the CB1R protein is crucial for sending the receptors to the axon, and for ensuring that they do not get diverted to the dendrite surface. This region stabilizes CB1Rs at the axon surface, and helps to make the receptors available to bind endocannabinoids. CB1Rs also respond to medical marijuana, a topic that continues to generate interest as well as controversy. Activating CB1Rs could help treat a wide range of diseases, such as chronic pain, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Future studies should build on our understanding of CB1Rs to explore and optimize new therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Fletcher-Jones
- School of Biochemistry, Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Keri L Hildick
- School of Biochemistry, Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Ashley J Evans
- School of Biochemistry, Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Yasuko Nakamura
- School of Biochemistry, Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin A Wilkinson
- School of Biochemistry, Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy M Henley
- School of Biochemistry, Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Raber J, Arzy S, Bertolus JB, Depue B, Haas HE, Hofmann SG, Kangas M, Kensinger E, Lowry CA, Marusak HA, Minnier J, Mouly AM, Mühlberger A, Norrholm SD, Peltonen K, Pinna G, Rabinak C, Shiban Y, Soreq H, van der Kooij MA, Lowe L, Weingast LT, Yamashita P, Boutros SW. Current understanding of fear learning and memory in humans and animal models and the value of a linguistic approach for analyzing fear learning and memory in humans. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 105:136-177. [PMID: 30970272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Fear is an emotion that serves as a driving factor in how organisms move through the world. In this review, we discuss the current understandings of the subjective experience of fear and the related biological processes involved in fear learning and memory. We first provide an overview of fear learning and memory in humans and animal models, encompassing the neurocircuitry and molecular mechanisms, the influence of genetic and environmental factors, and how fear learning paradigms have contributed to treatments for fear-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Current treatments as well as novel strategies, such as targeting the perisynaptic environment and use of virtual reality, are addressed. We review research on the subjective experience of fear and the role of autobiographical memory in fear-related disorders. We also discuss the gaps in our understanding of fear learning and memory, and the degree of consensus in the field. Lastly, the development of linguistic tools for assessments and treatment of fear learning and memory disorders is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Raber
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Departments of Neurology and Radiation Medicine, and Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Shahar Arzy
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | | | - Brendan Depue
- Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Haley E Haas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stefan G Hofmann
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Kangas
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Hilary A Marusak
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Jessica Minnier
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Mouly
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS-UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Andreas Mühlberger
- Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; PFH - Private University of Applied Sciences, Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Seth Davin Norrholm
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kirsi Peltonen
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Graziano Pinna
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Christine Rabinak
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Youssef Shiban
- Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; PFH - Private University of Applied Sciences, Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hermona Soreq
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science and The Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Michael A van der Kooij
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitatsmedizin der Johannes Guttenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Leah T Weingast
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Paula Yamashita
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Sydney Weber Boutros
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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Pinna G. Biomarkers for PTSD at the Interface of the Endocannabinoid and Neurosteroid Axis. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:482. [PMID: 30131663 PMCID: PMC6091574 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Graziano Pinna
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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11
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Childs E, Lutz JA, de Wit H. Dose-related effects of delta-9-THC on emotional responses to acute psychosocial stress. Drug Alcohol Depend 2017; 177:136-144. [PMID: 28599212 PMCID: PMC6349031 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cannabis smokers often report that they use the drug to relax or to relieve emotional stress. However, few clinical studies have shown evidence of the stress-relieving effects of cannabis or cannabinoid agonists. In this study, we sought to assess the influence of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a main active ingredient of cannabis, upon emotional responses to an acute psychosocial stressor among healthy young adults. METHODS Healthy volunteers (N=42) participated in two experimental sessions, one with psychosocial stress (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) and another with a non-stressful task, after receiving 0 (N=13), 7.5mg (N=14) or 12.5mg (N=15) oral THC. Capsules were administered under randomized, double blind conditions, 2.5h before the tasks began. We measured subjective mood and drug effects, vital signs and salivary cortisol before and at repeated times after the capsule and tasks. Subjects also appraised the tasks, before and after completion. RESULTS In comparison to placebo, 7.5mg THC significantly reduced self-reported subjective distress after the TSST and attenuated post-task appraisals of the TSST as threatening and challenging. By contrast, 12.5mg THC increased negative mood overall i.e., both before and throughout the tasks, and pre-task ratings of the TSST as threatening and challenging. It also impaired TSST performance and attenuated blood pressure reactivity to the stressor. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that a low dose of THC produces subjective stress-relieving effects in line with those commonly reported among cannabis users, but that higher doses may non-specifically increase negative mood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Childs
- The University of Chicago, Department of Psychiatry Behavioral Neuroscience, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC3077, Chicago IL 60637, United States.
| | | | - Harriet de Wit
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC3077, Chicago, Illinois 60637
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Locci A, Pinna G. Neurosteroid biosynthesis down-regulation and changes in GABA A receptor subunit composition: a biomarker axis in stress-induced cognitive and emotional impairment. Br J Pharmacol 2017; 174:3226-3241. [PMID: 28456011 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
By rapidly modulating neuronal excitability, neurosteroids regulate physiological processes, such as responses to stress and development. Excessive stress affects their biosynthesis and causes an imbalance in cognition and emotions. The progesterone derivative, allopregnanolone (Allo) enhances extrasynaptic and postsynaptic inhibition by directly binding at GABAA receptors, and thus, positively and allosterically modulates the function of GABA. Allo levels are decreased in stress-induced psychiatric disorders, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and elevating Allo levels may be a valid therapeutic approach to counteract behavioural dysfunction. While benzodiazepines are inefficient, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) represent the first choice treatment for depression and PTSD. Their mechanisms to improve behaviour in preclinical studies include neurosteroidogenic effects at low non-serotonergic doses. Unfortunately, half of PTSD and depressed patients are resistant to current prescribed 'high' dosage of these drugs that engage serotonergic mechanisms. Unveiling novel biomarkers to develop more efficient treatment strategies is in high demand. Stress-induced down-regulation of neurosteroid biosynthesis and changes in GABAA receptor subunit expression offer a putative biomarker axis to develop new PTSD treatments. The advantage of stimulating Allo biosynthesis relies on the variety of neurosteroidogenic receptors to be targeted, including TSPO and endocannabinoid receptors. Furthermore, stress favours a GABAA receptor subunit composition with higher sensitivity for Allo. The use of synthetic analogues of Allo is a valuable alternative. Pregnenolone or drugs that stimulate its levels increase Allo but also sulphated steroids, including pregnanolone sulphate which, by inhibiting NMDA tonic neurotransmission, provides neuroprotection and cognitive benefits. In this review, we describe current knowledge on the effects of stress on neurosteroid biosynthesis and GABAA receptor neurotransmission and summarize available pharmacological strategies that by enhancing neurosteroidogenesis are relevant for the treatment of SSRI-resistant patients. Linked Articles This article is part of a themed section on Pharmacology of Cognition: a Panacea for Neuropsychiatric Disease? To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.19/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Locci
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Graziano Pinna
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Pirone A, Lenzi C, Coli A, Giannessi E, Stornelli MR, Miragliotta V. Preferential epithelial expression of type-1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) in the developing canine embryo. SPRINGERPLUS 2015; 4:804. [PMID: 26702393 PMCID: PMC4688286 DOI: 10.1186/s40064-015-1616-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 12/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
The use of cannabinoid receptor agonists is gaining a strong interest both in human and veterinary medicine. The potential use of cannabimimetic compounds in companion animals was reviewed in 2007 for their role in tissue inflammation and pain. A better knowledge of type-1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) expression on the target population may help in risk management in order to prevent unwanted side effects. We used 30-days old canine embryos to describe the distribution of CB1R by means of immunohistochemistry with a commercially available antibody.CB1R immunoreactivity was mainly epithelial and included most structures of central and peripheral nervous system, inner ear, olfactory epithelium and related structures, eye and thyroid. Further investigative research on the role of the endocannabinoid system in the developmental biology field is needed, however, we show that in the canine species we must consider pregnancy as risk condition for developmental abnormalities that may arise upon the use of CB1R receptor agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Pirone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Carla Lenzi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Coli
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Giannessi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Rita Stornelli
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Miragliotta
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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14
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Renard J, Krebs MO, Le Pen G, Jay TM. Long-term consequences of adolescent cannabinoid exposure in adult psychopathology. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:361. [PMID: 25426017 PMCID: PMC4226229 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug among adolescents and young adults. Unique cognitive, emotional, and social changes occur during this critical period of development from childhood into adulthood. The adolescent brain is in a state of transition and differs from the adult brain with respect to both anatomy (e.g., neuronal connections and morphology) and neurochemistry (e.g., dopamine, GABA, and glutamate). These changes are thought to support the emergence of adult cerebral processes and behaviors. The endocannabinoid system plays an important role in development by acting on synaptic plasticity, neuronal cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive component in marijuana, acts as a partial agonist of the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R). Thus, over-activation of the endocannabinoid system by chronic exposure to CB1R agonists (e.g., THC, CP-55,940, and WIN55,212-2) during adolescence can dramatically alter brain maturation and cause long-lasting neurobiological changes that ultimately affect the function and behavior of the adult brain. Indeed, emerging evidence from both human and animal studies demonstrates that early-onset marijuana use has long-lasting consequences on cognition; moreover, in humans, this use is associated with a two-fold increase in the risk of developing a psychotic disorder. Here, we review the relationship between cannabinoid exposure during adolescence and the increased risk of neuropsychiatric disorders, focusing on both clinical and animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Renard
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie des maladies Psychiatriques, UMR_S894 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences Paris, France ; Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Service Hospitalo Universitaire, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, Université Paris Descartes Paris, France
| | - Marie-Odile Krebs
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie des maladies Psychiatriques, UMR_S894 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences Paris, France ; Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Service Hospitalo Universitaire, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, Université Paris Descartes Paris, France
| | - Gwenaëlle Le Pen
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie des maladies Psychiatriques, UMR_S894 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences Paris, France ; Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Service Hospitalo Universitaire, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, Université Paris Descartes Paris, France
| | - Thérèse M Jay
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie des maladies Psychiatriques, UMR_S894 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences Paris, France ; Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Service Hospitalo Universitaire, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, Université Paris Descartes Paris, France
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15
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Pinna G, Rasmusson AM. Ganaxolone improves behavioral deficits in a mouse model of post-traumatic stress disorder. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:256. [PMID: 25309317 PMCID: PMC4161165 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Allopregnanolone and its equipotent stereoisomer, pregnanolone (together termed ALLO), are neuroactive steroids that positively and allosterically modulate the action of gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) at GABAA receptors. Levels of ALLO are reduced in the cerebrospinal fluid of female premenopausal patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a severe, neuropsychiatric condition that affects millions, yet is without a consistently effective therapy. This suggests that restoring downregulated brain ALLO levels in PTSD may be beneficial. ALLO biosynthesis is also decreased in association with the emergence of PTSD-like behaviors in socially isolated (SI) mice. Similar to PTSD patients, SI mice also exhibit changes in the frontocortical and hippocampal expression of GABAA receptor subunits, resulting in resistance to benzodiazepine-mediated sedation and anxiolysis. ALLO acts at a larger spectrum of GABAA receptor subunits than benzodiazepines, and increasing corticolimbic ALLO levels in SI mice by injecting ALLO or stimulating ALLO biosynthesis with a selective brain steroidogenic stimulant, such as S-norfluoxetine, at doses far below those that block serotonin reuptake, reduces PTSD-like behavior in these mice. This suggests that synthetic analogs of ALLO, such as ganaxolone, may also improve anxiety, aggression, and other PTSD-like behaviors in the SI mouse model. Consistent with this hypothesis, ganaxolone (3.75–30 mg/kg, s.c.) injected 60 min before testing of SI mice, induced a dose-dependent reduction in aggression toward a same-sex intruder and anxiety-like behavior in an elevated plus maze. The EC50 dose of ganaxolone used in these tests also normalized exaggerated contextual fear conditioning and, remarkably, enhanced fear extinction retention in SI mice. At these doses, ganaxolone failed to change locomotion in an open field test. Therefore, unlike benzodiazepines, ganaxolone at non-sedating concentrations appears to improve dysfunctional emotional behavior associated with deficits in ALLO in mice and may provide an alternative treatment for PTSD patients with deficits in the synthesis of ALLO. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the only medications currently approved by the FDA for treatment of PTSD, although they are ineffective in a substantial proportion of PTSD patients. Hence, an ALLO analog such as ganaxolone may offer a therapeutic GABAergic alternative to SSRIs for the treatment of PTSD or other disorders in which ALLO biosynthesis may be impaired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graziano Pinna
- The Psychiatric Institute, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ann M Rasmusson
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Women's Health Science Division of the VA National Center for PTSD, and Boston University School of Medicine Boston, MA, USA
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16
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Rossi S, Bozzali M, Bari M, Mori F, Studer V, Motta C, Buttari F, Cercignani M, Gravina P, Mastrangelo N, Castelli M, Mancino R, Nucci C, Sottile F, Bernardini S, Maccarrone M, Centonze D. Association between a genetic variant of type-1 cannabinoid receptor and inflammatory neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e82848. [PMID: 24391723 PMCID: PMC3877004 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic ablation of type-1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs) exacerbates the neurodegenerative damage of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, the rodent model of multiple sclerosis (MS). To address the role on CB1Rs in the pathophysiology of human MS, we first investigated the impact of AAT trinucleotide short tandem repeat polymorphism of CNR1 gene on CB1R cell expression, and secondly on the inflammatory neurodegeneration process responsible for irreversible disability in MS patients. We found that MS patients with long AAT repeats within the CNR1 gene (≥12 in both alleles) had more pronounced neuronal degeneration in response to inflammatory white matter damage both in the optic nerve and in the cortex. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), in fact, showed more severe alterations of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and of the macular volume (MV) after an episode of optic neuritis in MS patients carrying the long AAT genotype of CNR1. MS patients with long AAT repeats also had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of increased gray matter damage in response to inflammatory lesions of the white matter, especially in areas with a major role in cognition. In parallel, visual abilities evaluated at the low contrast acuity test, and cognitive performances were negatively influenced by the long AAT CNR1 genotype in our sample of MS patients. Our results demonstrate the biological relevance of the (AAT)n CNR1 repeats in the inflammatory neurodegenerative damage of MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Rossi
- Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC)/Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC)/Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Bari
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Chirurgia, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Mori
- Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC)/Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Studer
- Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC)/Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Motta
- Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC)/Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Buttari
- Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC)/Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC)/Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Gravina
- Dipartimento Medicina di Laboratorio, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicolina Mastrangelo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Chirurgia, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Maura Castelli
- Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC)/Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaele Mancino
- Clinica Oculistica, Dipartimento di Biopatologia, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Nucci
- Clinica Oculistica, Dipartimento di Biopatologia, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Sergio Bernardini
- Dipartimento Medicina di Laboratorio, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Maccarrone
- Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC)/Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Center of Integrated Research, School of Medicine, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Centonze
- Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC)/Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Enriquez-Algeciras M, Bhattacharya SK. Lipidomic mass spectrometry and its application in neuroscience. World J Biol Chem 2013; 4:102-110. [PMID: 24340133 PMCID: PMC3856305 DOI: 10.4331/wjbc.v4.i4.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Central and peripheral nervous systems are lipid rich tissues. Lipids, in the context of lipid-protein complexes, surround neurons and provide electrical insulation for transmission of signals allowing neurons to remain embedded within a conducting environment. Lipids play a key role in vesicle formation and fusion in synapses. They provide means of rapid signaling, cell motility and migration for astrocytes and other cell types that surround and play supporting roles neurons. Unlike many other signaling molecules, lipids are capable of multiple signaling events based on the different fragments generated from a single precursor during each event. Lipidomics, until recently suffered from two major disadvantages: (1) level of expertise required an overwhelming amount of chemical detail to correctly identify a vast number of different lipids which could be close in their chemical reactivity; and (2) high amount of purified compounds needed by analytical techniques to determine their structures. Advances in mass spectrometry have enabled overcoming these two limitations. Mass spectrometry offers a great degree of simplicity in identification and quantification of lipids directly extracted from complex biological mixtures. Mass spectrometers can be regarded to as mass analyzers. There are those that separate and analyze the product ion fragments in space (spatial) and those which separate product ions in time in the same space (temporal). Databases and standardized instrument parameters have further aided the capabilities of the spatial instruments while recent advances in bioinformatics have made the identification and quantification possible using temporal instruments.
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18
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Zachariou M, Alexander SPH, Coombes S, Christodoulou C. A biophysical model of endocannabinoid-mediated short term depression in hippocampal inhibition. PLoS One 2013; 8:e58926. [PMID: 23527052 PMCID: PMC3601106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Accepted: 02/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Memories are believed to be represented in the synaptic pathways of vastly interconnected networks of neurons. The plasticity of synapses, that is, their strengthening and weakening depending on neuronal activity, is believed to be the basis of learning and establishing memories. An increasing number of studies indicate that endocannabinoids have a widespread action on brain function through modulation of synap–tic transmission and plasticity. Recent experimental studies have characterised the role of endocannabinoids in mediating both short- and long-term synaptic plasticity in various brain regions including the hippocampus, a brain region strongly associated with cognitive functions, such as learning and memory. Here, we present a biophysically plausible model of cannabinoid retrograde signalling at the synaptic level and investigate how this signalling mediates depolarisation induced suppression of inhibition (DSI), a prominent form of short-term synaptic depression in inhibitory transmission in hippocampus. The model successfully captures many of the key characteristics of DSI in the hippocampus, as observed experimentally, with a minimal yet sufficient mathematical description of the major signalling molecules and cascades involved. More specifically, this model serves as a framework to test hypotheses on the factors determining the variability of DSI and investigate under which conditions it can be evoked. The model reveals the frequency and duration bands in which the post-synaptic cell can be sufficiently stimulated to elicit DSI. Moreover, the model provides key insights on how the state of the inhibitory cell modulates DSI according to its firing rate and relative timing to the post-synaptic activation. Thus, it provides concrete suggestions to further investigate experimentally how DSI modulates and is modulated by neuronal activity in the brain. Importantly, this model serves as a stepping stone for future deciphering of the role of endocannabinoids in synaptic transmission as a feedback mechanism both at synaptic and network level.
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Campolongo P, Ratano P, Manduca A, Scattoni ML, Palmery M, Trezza V, Cuomo V. The endocannabinoid transport inhibitor AM404 differentially modulates recognition memory in rats depending on environmental aversiveness. Front Behav Neurosci 2012; 6:11. [PMID: 22454620 PMCID: PMC3308193 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2012.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2012] [Accepted: 03/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid compounds may influence both emotional and cognitive processes depending on the level of environmental aversiveness at the time of drug administration. However, the mechanisms responsible for these responses remain to be elucidated. The present experiments investigated the effects induced by the endocannabinoid transport inhibitor AM404 (0.5-5 mg/kg, i.p.) on both emotional and cognitive performances of rats tested in a Spatial Open Field task and subjected to different experimental settings, named High Arousal (HA) and Low Arousal (LA) conditions. The two different experimental conditions influenced emotional reactivity independently of drug administration. Indeed, vehicle-treated rats exposed to the LA condition spent more time in the center of the arena than vehicle-treated rats exposed to the HA context. Conversely, the different arousal conditions did not affect the cognitive performances of vehicle-treated animals such as the capability to discriminate a spatial displacement of the objects or an object substitution. AM404 administration did not alter locomotor activity or emotional behavior of animals exposed to both environmental conditions. Interestingly, AM404 administration influenced the cognitive parameters depending on the level of emotional arousal: it impaired the capability of rats exposed to the HA condition to recognize a novel object while it did not induce any impairing effect in rats exposed to the LA condition. These findings suggest that drugs enhancing endocannabinoid signaling induce different effects on recognition memory performance depending on the level of emotional arousal induced by the environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Campolongo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy
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